The best sometimes forget
by vampyr-eternal
Summary: When Captain Hook takes her brother, Sarann has no choice but to follow.  Yet what happens when she's left with the pirates and the memories of her family and her home start fading?  What's left when the pirates are all she has?
1. Chapter 1

_But men are men; the best sometimes forget - William Shakespeare_

Neverland. Sitting alone in her little brother's room Sarann couldn't bring herself to even begin to believe in it, but imagining it was certainly fun. For a twenty year old stuck in a dead-end office job with a repetitive social life, Neverland was certainly an interesting place. Flying children, beautiful mermaids, curious Indians and pirates, oh the pirates. What girl didn't dream of pirates? Especially since the appearance of good old Cap'n Jack. The magic of a true believer had left her with the onset of adulthood but that didn't mean the magic was completely gone, her imagination was still a force to be reckoned with. Her musings were interrupted at that point by her brother running into the room and throwing himself onto the bed, playfully demanding another story about Peter Pan and the dastardly Hook. It never ceased to amuse her hearing a five year old come out with words like 'dastardly', it was amazing what they picked up.

"Now Jake, what are the rules."

Pouting good-heartedly all the way, Jake picked up all the soft toys off his bed and piled them neatly at the side of it before pulling back the bed covers and crawling beneath them. There'd been a time when getting Jake into bed had been a real task. Toys were strewn around as he stormed and protested that he really wasn't tired. More than one picture frame had been broken by an errantly thrown toy and more often than not the bed would have to be remade at least once after he dragged all the sheets off.

He was an intelligent child and got bored easily, reading him the same stories over and over again did nothing for him and the longer the bad behaviour went on, the worse it got. Sarann used to sit downstairs cringing at the noise her brother made when their parents tried to put him to bed. She'd often joked that this is what happened when they had a second child at their age. Then one night her parents had left her to babysit. This was never an enjoyable task. When he was awake he was a lovely child, as long as you kept him busy, but the second you tried to put him to bed, all hell broke loose. This one particular night he'd been exceptionally rowdy, not understanding why he had to go to bed instead of going out with his parents, and he'd thrown the Peter Pan book Sarann had been reading to him at her head. Rapidly losing her patience Sarann had stood up and told Jake that if he didn't want to find out what happened to the boys that Captain Hook took away for being naughty, he'd best stop acting up. Now that got his attention. Putting down the stuffed crocodile he had been about to throw at her, Jake looked at her curiously for a few seconds.

"Cap'n Hook takes naughty boys?" He asked, mildly worried.

"Of course, how do you think he recruits more pirates?"

"But I thought you couldn't grow up in Neverland?" He asked, sitting down cross-legged on the bed and studying his suddenly interesting big sister.

"That's true, if you're a good little boy. But the bad ones all grow up to be mean pirates, and when they're as mean as they'll ever be, they stay that age forever and help Cap'n Hook in his fight against Pan and his good lost boys." Sarann said, warming to the story, revelling as it unveiled itself in her mind.

"But how come that's not in the book?"

"Well because it's too scary for children to know about. Would you want to become an evil pirate?"

"Yes!" Jake said, far too loudly.

"You want to have your hand fed to a crocodile?" Sarann asked with exaggerated incredulity.

"Well no, but that was just Hook…"

"Ah but what about the pirates with peg legs and eye patches and scars? Where do you think they got those from? The bad guys never win Jake."

"So Peter Pan feeds all the pirate parts to the crocodile?" Jake had asked excitedly, pushing the toys off his bed unconsciously and snuggling into his covers, so engrossed was he in the story being told.

"Of course not, can you imagine how fat that crocodile would be by now!" Sarann answered, puffing her cheeks out and pretending to be a fat crocodile. Jake went into a fit of giggles at his sister's antics. "No, but the lost boys are much better fighters, because Peter Pan's such a good teacher, so they always beat the pirates. And the lost boys can fly too." Sarann finished, picking up her brother and pretending to fly him about the room. Soon they were both giggling and after a bit more talk about the lost boys, Jake was nodding off to sleep.

After that he was a different child. As long as Sarann was there to put him to bed and give him one of her own stories, usually about Peter Pan, but often just about anything that came into her head, he was no trouble at all. By now, as soon as he was told it was bedtime he'd rush off, get himself into his pyjamas, brush his teeth, clean the soft toys off his bed and tuck himself in without a single complaint, always anticipating the new and interesting adventure Sarann was going to spin for him that night. And tonight was no different.

"Now can I have a story?" He asked once he was firmly in bed.

"What story would you like?"

"Hook!"

"Another story about Hook? Don't tell me you want to be a pirate?" Sarann asked teasingly.

"Nope." Jake answered solemnly. "But he has some fun adventures."

"He sure does. Well how about the time Hook tried to get one of the mermaids to kiss him."

"Ick! No." Jake said, screwing his face up in childlike disgust.

"Hmm, no kissing. What about the time Hook shaved off his beard?"

"No Sarann, give me a good story." The little boy pleaded.

"A good story, huh?" Sarann said, thinking. "How about the time Cap'n Hook got hold of some fairy dust?"

"Cap'n Hook flew?" Jake asked with childish delight.

"Ah now I never said he flew, you need more than just fairy dust to fly."

"Happy thoughts!"

"Exactly, but Cap'n Hook didn't have any happy thoughts, because Peter Pan always thwarted his plans. So one night, Captain James Hook decided to get some happy thoughts by coming up with a plan that Pan couldn't foil…"

"Is he asleep?" Sarann's mother asked as she saw Sarann exiting the boys bedroom and quietly shutting the door behind her.

"Fast on." Sarann answered, hugging her mother.

"I don't know what we'd do without that imagination of yours." Her mother said, honestly.

"Right, we're off out now, we shouldn't be back too late, anything you need before we go?" Her father asked, stepping out onto the landing to join the women.

"No, I've got popcorn and a DVD, Jake's asleep, I'm sorted. You two enjoy your night."

Hugging and kissing both her parents goodbye, Sarann watched them leave before going into her own bedroom and settling down for a night of films.

Around midnight Sarann went to check on Jake and found him sleeping soundly, one leg thrown over the side of the bed. Smiling she tucked him back him and gave him a kiss on the forehead. For all he could be a monster at times, when he was asleep he looked like a little angel.

"Ah Jake, you'd give Cap'n Hook a run for his money any day."

"Is that right?"

The voice, male, deep and completely unexpected, came from behind her. Spinning around in fright she faced an image her logical brain refused to entertain but her eyes wouldn't stop showing her. 'Extravagant' wasn't a strong enough word for what she was seeing. The man was dressed top to toe in red velvet. His long jacket had elaborate gold embroidery detail as did his ostrich-floss-feathered hat. The ruffles on his sleeves looked to be expensive crushed silk and the gold sword at his waist and rings on his fingers screamed opulence. Red breeches and black boots completed the outfit and his sumptuous black locks were perfectly in fitting with the luxury displayed before her. And then there was the hook…

"He doesn't look like much." The man said, taking a step closer to peer at the boy in the bed. "I fail to see how this slip of a boy could stand up to me."

"Get out of this house right now or I'll call the police." Sarann told the stranger, her voice filled with a confidence she did not feel. She was terrified. She didn't know who this man was or what he wanted, all she knew was that she had to protect her little brother.

"Your police can't stop me, nor that blasted Pan. Your stories got more than just the attention of the lost boys and that last sentence called out an adventure I would be a fool to pass on. And Captain James Hook is no fool."

Captain James Hook? Great, her house had been broken into by a nutcase! She had no idea how he knew about her stories but she didn't care, she needed him gone, now.

"I'm warning you one last time, leave, now, or I'll call the police."

She was shaking now, partly through fear, partly through anger that someone would dare invade the sanctuary of her home. The man calling himself Hook just laughed though, an evil sound that sent shivers down Sarann's spine and made her fear him all the more. She glanced at the door, trying gauge if she'd be able to grab her phone from her own room to call the police before the man stopped her, but she knew she could never leave him alone with Jake.

"I like your spirit, you'll certainly provide us with some excellent entertainment."

His words hinted at things far darker than Sarann wanted to contemplate. At that moment though she heard an excited shriek of "Hook!" from behind her and Jake shot past her before she could stop him. Sarah watched the stranger pick her little brother up with terror. How many times had she told Jake not to talk to strangers and here he was throwing himself into the arms of a man who'd just broken into their house! She cursed his innocence and cursed herself for filling his head full of stories of a pretty harmless Hook. She didn't know why this madman was pretending to be the villain of her stories but it didn't matter, all that mattered was that he had her brother.

"Please, give him back. I'll let you leave, I won't call the police, I'll never tell anyone about this, just please, put Jake down."

She was begging and she didn't care, she was desperate for her brother's safety.

"Ah the adventures we could have Jake, sailing the open ocean, plundering, seeking buried treasure, what says you to joining my crew?"

"Yes!" Was Jake's concise and enthusiastic answer.

The cold shiver ran down Sarann's spine again. She had to do something.

"Jake, remember what I told you about pirates, don't you want to be a lost boys?"

She was grasping at straws, but as long as Jake wanted to go with this lunatic she had no chance, she needed to get him to want to come back to her.

"No, I want a hat, just like Cap'n Hook's and a hook and a sword and…"

"Then that's just what ye'll have boy." The man's speech was becoming more pirate like by the moment as he slipped into the role the boy required of him. "So what says ye girl? Ready to become a wench aboard me vessel?"

"Jake, please, come here, that's not Captain Hook, that's a bad man dressing up, please come here."

"No, this is the real Cap'n Hook, and I'm going with him."

The petulant little boy was back. Here was someone offering the adventures Sarann could only give him in stories, how could she possibly compete with that?

"Now girl, your brother's coming with me whether you like it or not, the only question left is whether or not ye'll be joining us."

He was going to kidnap her little brother! Terror previously unknown to Sarann washed over her and her legs threatened to buckle beneath her. She couldn't let this happen, she couldn't!

"I'm not a patient man by nature, but I shall give you one minute precisely to make your decision."

Sarann's mind raced furiously, trying to come up with a way out of this situation, a way to save her brother, but she was so panicked that nothing came to her. She looked at her brother and saw him clinging furiously to the man's neck, grinning inanely at the adventures he faced. She needed to get him back, she had to think of something, offer him something, but what? What could possibly be better than what he imagined the man dressed as Hook was offering? She needed…

"Times up, what'll it be?"

Not thinking straight Sarann hit upon the only solution her brain would offer; go with him. She couldn't let him take Jake alone and she couldn't think of a way to get Jake back, at least if she went with him she might have a chance to get help or find a way for both of them to escape. It was the best she could come up with. She gave the stranger a resigned nod and took a step towards him. He reached a hand out to her silently and with one last anguished look at her brother, Sarann took it.

With a feral grin the man dressed as Hook walked over to the window and opened it wide to allow Sarann to see what lay beyond. Gone was the view of London, gone were the brick houses and concrete streets, gone were the street lamps and cars, instead, an enormous ship filled the entire window. As Sarann stared in shock at the image she knew could not possibly be true, a rope ladder was thrown over the side of the ship and landed on the windowsill in front of her. Sarann watched uncomprehendingly as Hook passed her brother up to a pirate waiting on the deck of the ship before he climbed up the rope ladder himself. Once on the deck he turned back to Sarann and indicated she should climb aboard.

Climb aboard… climb aboard? There was a pirate ship hovering in the sky outside her little brother's bedroom window. Her brother had been abducted by a man who she now knew undoubtedly to be the real Captain Hook and he was expecting her to follow him willingly aboard. Her logical mind screamed for her to stay put until the hallucinations stopped, but the rest of her, her childlike mind, her inane curiosity and unlimited imagination told her to go, to follow the adventure wherever it may take her. Even her logical mind couldn't stop her from going after her brother. So, taking a deep breath, she stepped up onto the windowsill and climbed the rope ladder up towards the deck of the ship.

Once she reached the top of the ladder two pirates leaned over, grabbed her arms and hauled her onto the deck. Almost immediately they scurried off to help with the preparations for setting sail. Looking around her, bewildered at the flurry of activity, Sarann saw Captain Hook leading her brother up some stairs towards the cabin and without thinking she set off after them, determined not to let her brother out of her sight. So intent was she on following Jake that she wasn't paying proper attention to where she was going. A pirate running across the deck slammed into her from the side, sending her flying sideways and smashing her head against the main mast of the ship. The world swayed as she went down and she was unconscious before she even hit the deck.


	2. Chapter 2

When Sarann awoke she found herself in a darkened room lit by a few sparse gas lamps scattered around the place. Her first thought upon awakening was that she was still dreaming, the scene laid out before her was so alien to her eyes, but there was no way that the pain in her head belonged in a dream. The bed she was lying on was a lavish four poster with velvet drapes and burgundy brocade trimmings. The sheets were burgundy satin and felt incredibly sumptuous against her skin. Resisting the urge to simply enjoy the opulence, Sarann forced herself to sit up and take a proper look around, fighting a wave of nausea and light headedness that threatened to engulf her as she did so. The entire room was made of gleaming wood with gold fittings. The gas lamps were held in gold fixtures, the fireplace had gold decoration surrounding it and a large portrait of Hook hung over the top of it. A few plush chairs were scattered around in no seeming order and at the far end of the room were two enormous multi-paned windows which Sarann knew from her stories to be the eyes of the skull on the front of the ship. Everywhere was polished and gleaming, slightly gaudy but not offensive to the eye.

To Sarann it was another world, a world of wealth and grandeur, free spending and pompous decoration. Never had Sarann's family been poor, but this level of lavishness was unheard of. She let her eyes be dazzled for a while but was soon out of bed, relieved to find herself still in her day clothes, grateful she had decided against lounging in bed in her pyjamas that night. She looked around for the exit and walked over to it, intent of finding Jake and trying to find a way out of there. Instead she found herself locked in, a prisoner despite her magnificent surroundings. Boiling over with fury she yelled Captain Hook's name but it seemed to do her no good, no one came to answer her hollers. Banging on the door did no good either so eventually she resigned herself to a long wait.

Her head was pounding from where she had banged it and, combined with her worry over Jake and anger at the situation she'd found herself in, she was not in a good mood. When Captain Hook eventually came to look in on her an hour later, she had a face like thunder.

"Ah my dear, you're awake."

"Where is he?" Sarann asked, furious.

"I assume you mean your brother. He's out on deck learning how to man the crow's nest. Waste of time considering he's not staying but I had to keep him entertained somehow, I assumed you would want to say goodbye to him."

Sarah stared at him for a few seconds in silence, trying to comprehend what he was saying to her.

"You mean you're not keeping him?" She eventually asked, grasping at straws.

"Now why would I do that?" Hook asked. "The boys far too good. As much as I loathe sending him over to Pan he's of no use to me, and I can't send him back home. So off to Pan he goes to become another nauseatingly good lost boy."

"Then why do I have to say goodbye?" Sarann asked, thoroughly confused.

"Because you're staying."

The tone of his voice sent shivers down Sarann's spine and they were not pleasant. Steeling herself for an answer she wasn't sure she wanted to hear, Sarann asked one more question.

"Why"

"Because my dear, you've grown up a bit. You're not the sickly sweet innocent of youth, you're balanced somewhere between good and evil and I want to see if we can't tip the scales a bit. Those stories you tell are indeed fantastic, but I think we can come up with a much better use for that mind of yours. So for now, you stay. Now come, say goodbye to Jake."

Stunned, Sarann barely managed to hurry after Captain Hook as he left the room. Nothing was going as she had expected, not that she could have ever imagined this all to be real, but at least it looked like Jake was going to be safe. As safe as he could be on another world, away from his entire family. All Sarann could do was be thankful that he was going to Peter Pan and not staying with the pirates. It was a crazy thought, madness that she had accepted all this so easily, but the leers the pirates were giving her as she walked down the stairs to the deck of the ship, and the fear they induced in her, were far too real for this to be a hallucination. Neverland was real, Peter Pan was real, and right now she was stuck on a damn boat with an infamous pirate captain and no idea what it was that he wanted to use her mind for.

Now was not the time for those musings though. Reaching the bottom of the stairs Sarann experienced a moment of terror as she realised that the small shape descending from the ropes above her head at breakneck speed was her little brother. He was back on deck soon enough though, rushing towards her, desperate to tell her of all his adventures.

"Sarann, Sarann! I was up the crow's nest! There were no crows up there, but it was so high up and I could see so far, all the way across the island! And I saw the lagoon with the mermaids, but they looked really small, and the Indians! Sarann I saw the teepee's and …"

"Now my lad, ye can't be telling her everything." Captain Hook said to the boy, slipping back into the stereotypical pirate dialect. "She's got to discover fer herself. Now, hows about ye go off with Smee here, he'll take ye out on a boat to see the caves and ye'll have a grand old adventure to tell ye sister when ye get back."

"Adventure!" Jake asked, practically hopping up and down in excitement.

His energy levels were on overload, adrenaline constantly pumping through him with excitement. He'd only had a few hours sleep and Sarann knew he'd crash soon, but right now he was on an ultimate natural high and he'd keep going as long as possible.

"Yes my boy, adventure. Now say goodbye to Sarann and off ye go."

The little boy ran up and hugged his sister energetically, eager to be off, not truly understanding the situation. Sarann did though. She knew this goodbye was going to last longer than Jake thought, a lot longer. For all Sarann knew she might never see her little brother again, and the thought brought tears to her eyes. Throughout the too short goodbye she kept it together by knowing that at least he wouldn't be with the pirates, at least he'd be safe with Peter Pan. His situation was so much more certain than her own, but she wouldn't let herself think about that, not yet.

Eyes still moist she waved goodbye to Jake as he got into the little wooden lifeboat and it was lowered down to the water. She watched as Smee rowed the boat away, waving to her brother until the boat was out of site. It was only once her brother was gone that the situation she was in truly hit Sarann. She was alone, on a boat, with a large group of pirates. This was not going to end well. She started speaking in an attempt to distract Captain Hook from whatever his plans were. He cut her off before she could begin though, and indicated she should follow him back to his cabin. Looking around at the crew she realised she probably wanted to spend as little time as possible around them, so she followed Hook without a word.

"Why send him off with Smee?" Sarann asked as soon as they were safely shut away in Hook's quarters. "Why not get Peter Pan to come here?"

"It's two-fold really." Hook answered. "One, Captain James Hook would never willingly allow Pan to step foot on his ship. Secondly, I would prefer it if Pan didn't catch sight of you just yet."

"And why is that?" Sarann asked defiantly.

"Peter Pan has spent a lot of time in your world over the years, first watching Wendy, then other children, and, most recently, you. In Neverland you never grow up and although its effects do linger on its residents even when outside its borders, there are limits. Bit by bit Peter's grown up, he's reached his adolescence and although he's clearly still far too childlike, you hold a fascination to him as more than just a mere storyteller. The less he sees you, the less of an urge he'll have to rescue you, and as I plan on having you here for quite a while, having him bent on rescuing you would be most undesirable."

"Just what is it you want from me Hook?"

The blow came out of nowhere. Her eyes barely registered his hand moving before she found herself sprawled on the floor, clutching the side of her face where he'd slapped her. For a second her eyes clouded with fear as she looked up at the man who stood gazing down at her, stony faced. Anger soon eradicated the fear though and she was on her feet, glaring at the pirate with undisguised fury.

"You may not want to be here Sarann but here you are nonetheless. You are on my ship and as such you shall address me as Captain at all times. Do you understand?"

Sarann's face never changed but she felt the fear stirring within her once more. She would not back down though. No one had the right to strike her. She may have been kidnapped, she may be being held on a ship by a notorious pirate captain against her will, but she would not give in to the fear, she was stronger than that and she'd be damned if she was going to call a man who had just hit her, Captain.

"I said do you understand?"

His gaze matched hers in intensity, they'd reached a stalemate of anger and both knew it. Sarann would not back down to this man who had so disrupted her life, Captain Hook could not allow her to be disobedient. As Sarann's mind reached for an answer, Hook's turned to violence once again. He raised his hand to strike her, but Sarann's mind was quicker.

"You can hit me as many times as you want, but I will not have obedience beaten in to me. I am not part of your crew, you are not my captain and so I will not refer to you as such. If you find 'Hook' to be disrespectful then I shall not use it again, but neither shall I give you an honourific just because you feel you deserve one. Beat me all you want, but you shall never get respect from me that way."

Her words stayed his hand and set his mind aflame. The girl had a viper's tongue and sharp mind, she was exactly what he'd been looking for. He could see the truth of her words in every aspect of her countenance. She would not bend to violence, so he would simply have to find another way, and what better way to tempt the bear than with honey.

"Your point is valid." Captain Hook said to the girl who still stood tense before him. "Therefore in private you may refer to me as James, in public though, only Captain is appropriate."

"In private I shall call you James then, and thank you. As for in public, don't expect me to put Captain on the end of every sentence, but I shall use it in lieu of your name."

"I agree to your terms. Now, you must be hungry, how about some breakfast?"

The rate at which Hook changed his moods disorientated Sarann for a minute, but as soon as his words were spoken, she realised she was indeed very hungry. She had no idea what time it was, but it was daylight outside so the night was certainly past. Hook wasn't waiting for an answer however. He walked over to the bed and pulled a cord towards it. Almost instantly a pirate ran through the door.

"Bring breakfast for me and Miss Sarann."

"Yes Captain." The pirate cried before running out again. Less than a minute later, two other pirates carried in a table already set for two and then hurried back out again. Hook bid Sarann to sit and, after studying him for a moment, she did so. She didn't trust him, not one bit, but he'd said he had plans for her and so she seemed to be safe enough for the moment.

Not long after that the food began to arrive, carried by pirates that clearly hadn't seen a bath in many a moon. Sarann cringed at the thought of someone that dirty having been the one to prepare her food, but hunger overrode her disgust and she was soon tucking into the sausages, eggs and bacon that were placed before her.

Sarann noticed that the Captain didn't eat until she herself had started, just as he hadn't sat down until she was seated. Manners like that in a pirate confused her all the more, but she decided for the moment to simply enjoy the food before her. Eventually though the meal was over and after another pull of the cord, more pirates came to clear everything away. Sooner than she would have liked, Sarann was alone with Captain Hook once more.

"So," She eventually said, after a moments awkward silence. "You never answered my question… James."

She'd hesitated over the last word simply because it seemed so strange to be using it, but Hook seemed pleased that she had.

"And which question was that?"

"What it is that you want from me?"

"Ah," Hook said, reclining in one of the sumptuous armchairs that were strewn around the room. "It is not the time for such revelations, for now you simply need to become acquainted with the ship and its crew. Once you're settled in we shall have another talk and discuss your future then."

The tone of his words sent a shiver down her spine. This was not a spur of the moment kidnapping. Looking into Hook's eyes, Sarann could see that he'd been planning this for quite a while. She was clearly going to be here for a long time to come, and Sarann couldn't decide whether that was a good thing. It meant she wouldn't be killed any time soon, but it also meant there were no immediate prospects of returning home. And what of Jake? How was he going to fare with the lost boys? He was still such a child and for all their games the lives of the lost boys were full of violence, she didn't want that for her little brother. As for their parents, what were they thinking of their childrens' disappearance? And more importantly, could Sarann and her brother ever return home?

They were sobering thoughts and through her distraction Sarann let the sorrow show through on her face. Everything she'd ever known had been ripped away, this was not her world and she was not finding it easy to adjust.

"You look troubled my dear." Captain Hook interrupted her thoughts, but Sarann had no intention of voicing her true fears to him. For all his manners he was still a dangerous pirate.

"Wouldn't you be in my situation?"

"Have no fear Sarann, I shall keep you safe throughout your entire stay here."

"That's still not entirely comforting." Sarann said with a grimace, keeping her safe indicated there was something dangerous to keep her safe from.

"Well then, we shall have to distract you from those melancholy thoughts. Come, I'll show you around my ship."

Sarann grimaced once again but didn't hesitate to follow him, although she wasn't sure which was the better of two evils; out on the ship surrounded by the entire crew, or in here with the Captain alone. Pushing her thoughts away she walked out of the room after Hook.

Throughout the tour Sarann was the object of constant scrutiny by the surrounding pirates. As she walked near them they would stop whatever chore they were doing and turn to stare at her. Sarann had to concentrate fiercely on what Captain Hook was saying to prevent the disgusting rising within her at the looks some of the pirates were giving her.

Hook showed her the deck, pointing out the mast and sails and giving her a brief introduction as to how the ship was sailed. He then showed her below decks, the kitchens, crew sleeping quarters and even a smaller, private bedroom directly below his that was to be for her own personal use. At hearing the news that she wasn't going to be sharing with the rest of the pirates, Sarann heaved a sigh of relief, but her relief soon turned to anger when she was shown back to the kitchen and told to get to work on the stack of dirty dishes. Glaring at Captain Hook with eyes of coal she began to berate him for his suggest.

"Captain Hook, you take me from my home, separate me from my brother, throw me in amongst a bunch of cut-throat pirates in a world wholly different to my own and now you expect me do the dishes? It's preposterous and don't think for a second it's going to happen! If I'm here as a prisoner I expect to be kept as such, I will not be kept as a slave!"

"As a prisoner you would be kept in the brig and I fear you would not appreciate that as much as the quarters I have provided for you. The brig is directly below crew's quarters and those floors aren't entirely intact. For your own comfort I've placed you in more pleasant quarters but you must earn them and for now the only tasks I require of you reside within this kitchen so I suggest you get to it before I change my mind and throw you in with the rats."

The grins on the feral faces of the pirates surrounding her told her she was out of her depth. This was not her world and the laws she knew did not apply here. If she wanted to keep her neck and her dignity, compliance was the best route. Grinding her teeth in anger at the humiliation she was facing, forced to clean up after men like a common slave, she nevertheless picked up a plate and placed it in the bucket of soapy water already laid out for her.

A triumphant grin crossed Captain Hooks face, but the expressions of the pirates were dark and calculating and Sarann was thankful that she at least had Hooks protection. Her gratefulness was marred by the fact that he was reason she was here in the first place, but she latched onto the knowledge that at least Jake was out of their reach and so she got on with her task silently.

For a while Hook remained to make sure she continued working, but he soon left to pursue his own tasks, leaving Sarann alone with six other pirates. A few of them stuck around for a few minutes, curious about the new addition to their crew, but their own chores awaited them and soon only Sarah and the cook remained. Sarah was happy to see that the man preparing the noon meal was a lot cleaner than the rest of the crew, it seemed even in the lowest of companies, hygiene was still a necessity of food production.

Both occupants of the kitchen worked in silence, but soon Sarann's naturally curiosity came to the fore. She thought of a dozen ways to start a conversation but none of them seemed appropriate for the situation somehow. Eventually she went for straightforward politeness and thanked him for the breakfast he'd provided for her earlier. Her words got no response and Sarann was beginning to think he hadn't heard her when spoke suddenly.

"Yer welcome." His voice was gruff, years of tobacco and alcohol abuse having worn it down.

Her attempt at conversation having failed, the room lapsed into silence once more. Sarann kept wanting to try again but for once she couldn't think of something to say. In the end it took only two words.

"Damn it!" Sarann shouted at the top of her voice after dropping a full tankard of soapy water on her foot. She had no idea how she'd managed to do it, all she knew was that a full tankard of water was heavy and the pain in her foot was a worrying indication that it might be broken. So absorbed was she in trying to figure out whether her foot was just bruised or whether it was more serious, that for a while Sarann didn't even realise the pirate was laughing at her.

"You could at least ask if I was okay instead of just sitting there laughing." The words were out of her mouth before she even thought of the consequences, but they only made the pirate laugh louder.

After ascertaining that her foot wasn't actually broken, Sarann picked up the now empty tankard and looked around for a mop to clean up the spilled water. Without speaking the pirate picked up a mop and handed it to her. She thanked him and started moping up the spill, thanking the pirate again when he provided a bucket for her to wring the mop out in without being asked. Both times she got a 'Yer welcome' but nothing more. When she'd finished cleaning up the spill she turned and studied the pirate for a few moments before speaking.

"So are you going to tell me what you found so amusing earlier?"

"Ye cursed."

"I cursed?" Sarann asked, confused.

"Yeah, ye cursed. Yer a lady and ye cursed. See, we're just a bunch of ol' pirates and 'bout as bad as they come, but yer a lady and when ye showed up we weren't knowing how we were supposed to be treating yer. But then ye went and cursed and seems to me like yer just a female pirate."

Sarann wasn't sure whether she should be offended by his assessment of her, she was just grateful that he was at least talking to her now. Sitting back down and continuing with her chore, she tried to keep the conversation going.

"I'm Sarann."

She didn't hold her hand out, something told her that pirates weren't the type to shake hands.

"Tobias."

"So what do you know about me coming here?" Sarann asked, hoping to find out more about her situation.

"'Bout as much as you do I reckon." So much for information. "See, the Cap'n, he only tells us what we need to know and this don't be somethin' we need to know. You want to know what he got planned for you well yer just gonna have to be asking him yerself."

"Thanks." Sarann answered, less than completely sincerely.

Silence returned and Sarann no longer had the desire to try and fill it. The tables had turned now however as it was Tobias who spoke, his own curiosity ignited by his new working companion.

"So, who be the boy?"

Fear shot through Sarann's heart at the words. She had to remind herself that Jake was safe now, wherever he was, he was away from the pirates and any harm they could do him.

"He's my little brother, Jake."

"The Cap'n sent him off to Pan then?"

"Yes he did." Her voice was sombre, for all she was glad he was safe, she still missed him and worried about him.

"Sounds about right, the boy looked too good fer this ship."

"What am I, the devil incarnate?" Sarann asked, getting angry.

"Fer all I know, ye could be. But I reckon it's more that yer just older. Kids, they got that innocence thing about them, takes a lot to corrupt a kid, but you, yer all growed up and once temptation gets ahold of yer, well, who knows where it'll take yer."

Sarann studied the pirate, trying to see if there was any hidden meaning to his words, but his back was to her as he prepared the food so she couldn't gauge his meaning by his expression. Deciding to take him at face value she stayed quiet for a while, thinking over what he'd said. It's true she was older, and the world had certainly tarnished her innocence, but she still thought herself to be a good person. Looking at her surroundings and thinking of the men she would be sharing it with, Sarann wondered just how corrupting temptations could be and her thoughts were not pleasant.

"So you're a chef then?" She eventually asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm a cook an nothin' more." The pirate answered flatly. "I don't be wearing no white hat and I don't be hiding in the kitchen when there's battles t' be had. I fight as well as any other on this ship and I'll kill any as call me a liar, but I learnt enough 'bout hygiene 'fore I came here to know that I can't trust any other than me t' make food for this 'ere ship."

"And for that I am extremely grateful." Sarann said fervently.

By this point Sarann had finally finished the huge pile of dirty dishes. Her hands, used to a small family's dishes, were thoroughly wrinkled and sore and her back ached from bending over the bucket for so long. She stood up and stretched her back out before heading for the door.

"If ye go out there, he'll just have ye scrubbin' the decks."

"Any suggestions on how to avoid that?" Sarann asked, not wanting any more so called chores.

"Well ye could stay here, I got a lot of mouths to be feeding and cookin' in here be less work than anythin' he'll give ye to do out there."

"What can I do to help?"

"That there stack of potatoes need peelin' and boilin' or ye can pluck some of these chickens fer me."

Picking up a nearby knife Sarann sat down at the table and got to work on the potatoes, relieved to be able to stay in the relatively nice kitchen.

"So where does all this food come from?" She asked, as curious as ever. "Somehow I can't see you farming everything."

Tobias laughed gruffly before responding.

"We be pirates missy, where do ye think we be getting it all? We raid, same as all other pirates, only we got two worlds to raid from."

"Two worlds?" Sarann asked, confused.

"Aye, two worlds, Neverland and the one ye hail from yerself. We want food, we go ter the Indians, they provide most of the food fer the island. But Cap'n Hook got his little favourites and they just don't grow here, so we raid from your world and who's t' know it wer us? Pan and his boys take on'y what the island gives but we're pirates and we take what we want, even if it means leaving the island."

"You go on these raids to my world a lot then?"

"More often than we used ter, but that wer partly t' do with you, so I guess maybe that'll stop now. But there's still things we need so we'll be back there soon enough."

"Pan lives off the island?"

"Aye, him and his boys keep us away from those Indians mostly, so the Indians feed them off what they grow. Damn stupid system if ye ask me. Indian's can't protect themselves so why not just steal the food and leave 'em to it."

"And what would you do without Peter and his boys to fight?" Sarann asked with a mocking smile.

"Well, yer about right there missy. Life'd be pretty dull without anyone to fight."

Conversation lapsed after that, both of them getting on with their work in companionable silence. Sarann was happy to meet at least one pirate that seemed acceptable and she began to regain hope that things here might not be so bad. Still, her future was too uncertain for her to relax.

Sarann spent the rest of the day in the kitchen with Tobias at Captain Hook's command. He seemed keen for her to be at ease and when he'd come to check on her and had been pleased at her new companionship with at least one of his crew. Sarann helped prepare the meals as well as helping to clean up after them. She didn't eat with the crew though, as at breakfast she ate alone with the Captain in his chambers. This came as something of a relief to Sarann, she'd dreaded seeing the crew's table manners so the meals she spent with Hook were almost pleasant.

Once all the work in the kitchen was done, Tobias showed her where her new room was and she was left alone for the first time since coming here. She looked around for any gaps in the floor or walls, remembering Hook's words and not trusting the crew one bit, despite getting along with Tobias. Once she was satisfied no one could see in she got changed into the satin nightgown that had been laid out for her and quickly got into bed and looked around her room. It was furnished a lot like the Captain's only on a smaller scale. She too had burgundy satin sheets on a four poster bed with satin curtains, gold and mahogany furnishings and comfy armchairs. Sarann didn't have long to study the room though, the stress and work of the day had taken its toll and she found herself nodding off. Taking only the time to close the curtains around the bed, Sarann was asleep within minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

Sarann was awakened the next morning by a loud banging on her bedroom door. Dragging herself out of bed and pulling on a dressing gown as she went, she opened the door to find herself facing an unfamiliar pirate. He was filthy. His trousers had clearly been striped at one point, but it was impossible now to make out the colours, so faded, worn and dirty were they. The bottoms of them were barely more than rags and the rest of his clothes weren't much better. His shirt was beige but may originally have been white and he bore a waistcoat jacket of indeterminable material but dark brown in colour. A drinking horn was hooked to one side of his leather belt and a hatchet to the other. The man wore a traditional pirate hat which was as worn and filthy as the rest of his clothes and his chest holster held a single pistol which looked entirely out of place, so clean and well kept was it.

She didn't get any more time to study him as the pirate soon spoke.

"Cap'n says yer to work with me today."

Sarann was severely beginning to dislike the 'Cap'n'. Yesterday hadn't exactly been fun, but at least she got along with Tobias. Something about the pirate in front of her told her they were not going to be best friends. It could have been the huge scar down the side of his face, or the fact that he was missing a few fingers on his left hand. Mostly it was the look on his face that told her he did not appreciate having her dumped on him. His lip was turned up at one side, an evil sneer combined with a furrowed brow and glaring eyes that all spelled out his intense dislike of her.

Despite all this Sarann managed to call on her inborn politeness and tell him she would be with him momentarily. Closing the door in his face she once again made sure there was no way anyone could see into her room before going to get changed. This was easier said than done, however. Someone had obviously come in during the night and removed her clothes from the room. Fury shot through Sarann and she vowed that if whoever had done it had so much as pulled the curtains of her bed back an inch, she'd have them hung, drawn and quartered!

Calming herself and taking a longer look around the room she spotted a wardrobe in the corner and went to have a look. Its contents were laughable but she supposed she shouldn't have expected any less. Tobias had said yesterday she was a 'female pirate', no doubt that comment had found its way back to Hook and this was his idea of a joke. Sarann attempted to be angry with him but soon gave way to simple childish glee. Everyone wanted to dress up and here was a perfect chance to dress like an authentic pirate.

Picking out an outfit Sarann was soon dressed and, appraising herself in the mirror, she had to admit she liked what she saw. She had on brown leather boots that had a slight heel and a touch of gold trim around the overlap at the top. Her breaches were black and laced up the full length of both her legs at the sides. Her top was a traditional cream wenches top combined with a brown leather bustier with more gold trim. She'd seen the brown leather hat and crimson bandanna in the wardrobe but had chosen not to wear them, she wasn't that accepting of being a pirate yet, hell she was just glad that all her clothes were clean.

Sarann opened the door to find the pirate still stood exactly where she'd left him, Cap'n's orders no doubt. As soon as the pirate saw her he turned around and walked onto the deck without a word. Sarann followed him just as silently, determined to not give him the satisfaction of her attempting to make conversation. She had expected to be handed a mop and bucket and told to get to work on the decks, instead, the pirate walked over to the rigging and started to climb, stopping only once to indicate she should follow him. Sarann hesitated for a second before following after him. She found the climb more strenuous than she'd imagined it would be. She wasn't exactly unfit but she'd never done anything like this before and by the time she reached the top she was out of breath. She took a minute to catch her breath, not caring if the pirate in charge of her was in a hurry or not. Prisoner she may be but she wasn't risking endangering her own health by working the ship.

As she sat there, high above the deck of the ship, she was stunned by the view that met her eyes. She wasn't quite in the crows nest but even from here she could see for miles. Jake had been right. She felt awed by what she could see.

The land around the lagoon was a verdant green of lush grasses, palm trees and low lying shrubs. The lagoon itself was stunning, the water so clear and blue and inviting. Sarann longed to simply jump off the ship and go for a swim, but she knew that by jumping from where she was that she was more likely to hit the deck and break her neck, so she resisted the temptation.

In the distance she could see a cluster of enormous mountains, some covered in vegetation right to the top, others were tipped with snow and looked arduous to climb. To the left of the mountains Sarann could just about make out long plains of obviously farmed land with a forest down the centre and beyond that, high ground, a long high outcrop of rock which she knew to be the Indian reservation, but her eyes weren't good enough to make out. To the right of the mountains, but much closer to the ship, was another lagoon. The water there was more emerald than it was blue, yet it was still incredibly eye-catching. This was clearly the mermaid lagoon, but again, the distance was too great for her eyes to make out any details.

Beyond that, Sarann couldn't see much, but she knew the lost boys' hideout lay beyond the lagoon and the Skull Rock was out to sea past that. The effect of the view was mesmerising on Sarann. For a girl raised in London, a land of houses and business and the odd man-made park, to see such a vast stretch of nature, inhabited but not infected by humans, was awe-inspiring.

Her gazing was interrupted at that point by a sharp whistle from the pirate she was following. Sarann turned to see him glaring at her, as always, as he waved angrily for her to follow him. Heaving a sigh, glad she'd managed to get her breath back as she'd studied the view, she carefully made her way over to where the pirate stood. Without preamble, or even giving his name, the pirate then launched into a commentary of the ship. Naming the sails, the ropes, or lines as they were called, showing Sarann starboard, port, fore and aft. Telling her the walls were called bulkheads, ceilings were overheads and floors were decks. Teaching her to furl, lower and reef the sails, doing so over and over again until her arms ached, her hands were raw and her whole body was exhausted. Going back down to the deck for meals was both a relief and a torture. Relief as it meant a period of rest from her exertions, but a torture on her body as she climbed down the rigging, perilously close to collapse.

By the end of each meal, breakfast having occurred an hour or so after she'd begun work that morning, Sarann was revitalised and ready to go back at it. She found an enthusiasm for sailing that she'd never expected. Dimmed as it was by the physical toll it took on her body, Sarann nevertheless found herself enjoying the work much more than that of the previous day. She missed the conversation she'd had with Tobias, but the work was infinitely more interesting.

When the call came for dinner though, Sarann heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that her work for the day was done. Using the last of her strength she climbed down the rigging and trudged up to the captain's room, looking forward to a nice hot meal. Her appetite had been anticipated and when she walked through the door she found a meal of chicken, rice and peas, twice as large as her other meals had been. She tucked in without delay, only pausing when she realised that Hook was smirking at her as he ate daintily.

"So what is it about me that so amuses you today James?" She asked, taking a break from her meal now her immediate hunger was quietened.

"It is not amusement I get from you Sarann, only pleasure at seeing you fit in so well with the crew and pirate life."

"I may be dressed as a pirate but that does not make me one." Sarann commented, resuming her eating at a more ladylike pace.

"Tell me what you have learnt today." He asked.

For a moment Sarann was tempted to resist him. Pleasing the tyrant who'd kidnapped her and her little brother was clearly not something she really wanted to do. On the other hand, the knowledge she had gleaned during the day had filled her with an excitement she hadn't known in a long time and a desire to share her new knowledge. She began to speak, slowly at first, but her words gradually increased in tempo. Her meal sat forgotten as she became more animated in her tale, finding herself demonstrating the correct way to furl a sail, lost in the wonderment of a the challenges of the day.

Captain Hook sat watching her silently, pleased beyond expectation at the way she was fitting into her new life. He'd been stunned by her appearance when she had presented herself for breakfast. She wore the clothes as though they were her own and already she'd been flushed with excitement at her new task. By lunch, the excitement had turned to glee and now, red faced, with a smudge of dirt across her forehead, she exuded happiness and contentment at her current position. Pleased with himself, Hood saw the fruition of his plan beginning before him and knew without a doubt that Sarann would indeed become a great pirate.

Sarann meanwhile could not interpret his smile, but vowed to find the meaning behind it. Finishing her tale she went back to her meal. As soon as she returned to her room that night she changed into her nightgown and collapsed into bed, exhausted. She barely had time to close the curtains around the bed for she was fast asleep, worn out by the days exertions, but thoroughly happy, no anxious thoughts of her brother marring her state of mind.

**A/N Huge apologies for the delay in updating! It's just been a crazy week. Thank you so much for reading and especially for all the reviews. I welcome all reviews, even negative ones as long as they're constructive, it all helps me improve my writing. Once again sorry for the delay and thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

The next day began similarly to the previous one with Sarann being awakened early by a pirate knocking on her bedroom door. She called out that she awake before dressing once more in pirate clothes, still eschewing the bandanna and hat, and was soon at her door to greet the pirate, looking forward to another day's lessons.

It was another new pirate who met her at the door, however, and disappointment ran through her momentarily, not because she would miss the previous days pirate's companionship, but only because she feared the task of today would be less enjoyable. Her disappointment was only increased when she was sat down in front of a pile of pieces of rope. Glancing wearily at the pirate who sat opposite her, she watched him pick up a rope and show her how to tie a bowline knot. Groaning slightly under her breath Sarann proceeded to pick up a piece of rope and mimic his movements. She was surprised to find that she began to enjoy the task. She always had enjoyed learning and this was no different. By breakfast she could tie a bowline perfectly. By lunch she'd mastered the clove hitch, sheet bend and figure of eight and used them to tie off lines at various points around the ship. When the call came for dinner, Sarann was proud in the knowledge that she knew all the knots she'd require in the sailing of this ship and had already put some of them to good use.

At dinner she was once again asked how she had spent the day and Sarann enjoyed showing off her new knowledge as before. Captain Hook was becoming even more confident that things would go according to plan.

The days passed swiftly, always following the same basic routine but every day was different. Sarann was given a detailed overview of the ship, learning to identify the various parts of the rigging: masts, yardarms, sails, cordage. She was taught how to steer, how to use the rigging, rudder and centre board to change the direction and speed of the ship. The lagoon led out into a wide sea and many weeks were spent in teaching Sarann how to sail the open water. She spent more time in the kitchen, which she now knew was a galley, with Tobias, and gradually, as the other pirates began to accept her presence, she got to know their names and was even on speaking terms with a few of them. She also began sword fighting and shooting lessons. At first she was uncomfortable with the feel of the cutlass and pistols, knowing them only as instruments of death, but soon she revelled in learning a new skill and all her qualms were quietened.

Sarann also worked for a while with Knuttforth the quartermaster, learning how to navigate and learning the various points of the pirate code, including what shares of treasure each pirate on board was deserved of, Moses's Law of forty stripes lacking one on the bare back and what crimes this was a fit punishment for, the pirate ways of ending a dispute and various other bits and pieces that made Sarann's head spin in confusion more than once. Pirate logic did not so much resemble a landlubber's logic as it did a drunkard's logic.

Yet she found the work fascinating, all of it. Well maybe not so much the scrubbing of the decks and washing of the pots, but this was a new way of life and she spent her days out in the sun learning more than she ever could have dreamed and fitting in better than could ever have been imagined. Her skin grew tan and she grew fitter, no longer becoming out of breath after climbing the rigging to the crows nest. Within only a few short months she was running all over the ship like any of the other pirates, forgetting she ever had another life. What memories she did retain were murky and distant, almost as though she were watching a movie of another person's life. Once vibrant moments seemed pale and unreal compared to the world around her. Her family became distant acquaintances and soon disappeared altogether. Her brother, whom she'd fretted and worried over after their abduction, seemed no more than a passing stranger.

As weeks turned into months she forgot she had a brother, forgot her parents, forgot the details of the life she'd lived back in London. Soon all she had was Neverland, Captain Hook, the pirates; some of which she now classed as her friends, and vague memories of another world she'd once called home. She herself was as much of a pirate as they, helping with the sailing, the cooking of meals, the navigation, the maintenance of the ship. Sarann never noticed the day she began to wear the bandanna and traditional pirate hat, but Captain Hook did, and the sight gave him joy, knowing that she was truly beginning to accept her new life. She sometimes ate with crew, not noticing their lack of manners whilst still retaining her own, she drank with them, she was one of them and yet still above them. They knew without being told never to touch her, Sarann may not have remembered her old life, but they did, they remembered a time when she hadn't been there, they remembered her brother and they remembered that Hook had some plan for her. They never mentioned any of this, but they kept their distance.

It was only once Sarann had been aboard the ship for four months, she realised there was one thing she hadn't been taught. Not once during her stay had they looted the world she used to belong to. Many a time over the last few months the pirates had gone on raids to the Indians to acquire food. At first, Captain Hook had deemed it too dangerous to go but as her ability with both cutlass and pistol grew he decided it was time for her to fully integrate herself into the crew.

Sarann's nerves had been drawn tight on that first raid, her mind battling with her conscience. One said this was how the island worked, it's natural equilibrium, the other told her it was stealing regardless of all reasoning. In the end her desire for new experiences, not to mention more food as the stocks were getting low, won out over the misgivings of her conscience. A group of five of them had rowed to shore in the early evening and quietly made their long trek over the island. Sarann was glad of the previous couple of months of exercise, the island wasn't small and it was nearing midnight when they reached the Indian reserve, which was no doubt exactly how the pirates had planned it. The Indians all appeared to be asleep and as much as the pirates longed for some action, Hook had wanted to keep Sarann away from fighting until she'd had more practise, so they remained silent as they raided the farms. They took rice, potatoes, mangoes, corn, tomatoes and a host of other foods, foods that probably wouldn't have been able to grow so close together anywhere on Earth, yet Neverland hosted them easily. Along with the crops they also stole a few chickens and some dried fish and would have stolen one of the pigs had they not been sure it would wake the Indians.

By the time the raiding party left the reserve they were all laden down with food and subsequently the trek back took a lot longer than the walk there. Nevertheless they reached the ship well before dawn and as Sarann step foot on the decks, she was overcome with jubilation that her first raid had gone so smoothly and been so successful. She found herself looking forward to the next one, but as each subsequent raid was planned and she was not picked as part of the group, her excitement dwindled. Putting it down to Hook's sense of fair play, making sure each pirate did their share of raids, Sarann put it out of her mind, never touching on the real reason.

Captain Hook didn't want her going on any more raids because there was always a chance they'd run into the lost boys. By now he had no fear about her fighting skills, she could hold her own with every pirate on the ship and could beat some hands down, but the lost boys now included her brother and Hook had no intention of them running into each other so soon, therefore Sarann was kept back from further raids.

So it was, that as the raiding party left one night, four months after Sarann's arrival, Tobias's words from that long ago first day in the kitchen came back to her. Not once in the four months of her being on the ship had they left the island to raid her old world. And 'old world' is definitely how she thought of the place that had been her home for 20 years. That life seemed now dull and washed out and she had no intention of returning to it. Still, it would be fun to raid, see how her memories lived up to the reality, and most of all, bring back a few things she missed like crazy. The food on the ship was surprisingly healthy, all home grown by the Indians and cooked reasonably well by Tobias. But there was no chocolate, no sweet foods, nothing to ease the craving Sarann had developed over the months. It was as Sarann sat down for another dessert free meal with Captain Hook, refusing to class fruit as dessert, that she brought up the subject.

"I'll be happy when they get back and we can have some fresh meat again, these vegetarian meals are wearing very thin."

Hook smiled before replying.

"The boys are intent on bringing back a pig this time so we should have some pork tomorrow."

Sarann smiled broadly in response, hesitating only slightly before continuing her point.

"Now if only those Indians would grow some chocolate I'd be very happy."

Hook laughed out loud at this, admitting that he too missed some of the finer treats not available on this island.

"And yet you've had them before?" Sarann asked slyly.

Hook narrowed his eyes in anger, realising just what it was she was getting at, before laughing once again.

"Well you truly are a pirate aren't you Sarann? Yes I've had them before and soon will again. Up until now we've refrained from raiding the other world but it's about time we went back, we're running low on supplies that we simply can't get here. So, next week you'll be getting to see something of your old home."

It was a gamble, mentioning the word home had a profound affect on some people, but before Hook took her back he needed to know that she wasn't going to try and escape once there. He'd put too much effort into her to lose her now. He needn't have worried though, any feelings Sarann had regarding her previous life were faded into obscurity by this new one. At the mention of home she screwed up her face in confusion before simply shrugging her shoulders and continuing with the meal.

The silence didn't last too long though, Sarann's curiosity was far too great for that.

"So how do you do it? Leave Neverland and go to the other world?" She asked.

"We fly of course."

"Well yes but how, I can't imagine Tinkerbell just flying over here and giving you some fairy dust." Sarann said with a smile.

Captain Hook grinned back, an evil glint marring his eye as he replied.

"Now that would be something. No, much easier to just kill a fairy…"

He was broken off at that point by Sarann's startled outburst.

"You kill fairies?"

"They're dying anyway." Hook replied, nonchalantly.

"That doesn't make it any better." Sarah said, furiously.

Hook's expression told her that he clearly thought that it did.

"You'd rather they died pointlessly? If they're going to die anyway they may as well do some good with their last hours."

"And they give you the fairy powder willingly do they?" Sarann asked sceptically.

"And aid me in my raiding of another world? Of course not."

There was silence for a few seconds as Sarann tried to process what she'd been told. As she mentally went over their conversation a line stuck in her head.

"Why are they dying anyway?" She asked cautiously, not sure she wanted to know the answer. "Because someone said they didn't believe in fairies?"

Hook laughed at her naivety before answering.

"Not entirely. Fairies require belief in them to live, that much is true. There's a magic to children's imaginations that sustains them. The world of men is losing its belief. Children murder their imaginations younger and younger and so the fairies begin to die earlier."

There was no emotion in his voice as he spoke, though hearing his words chilled Sarann to the bone. The truth of them could not be ignored. Although she didn't remember it now, in her own house both she and her brother had been raised to cherish their imaginations, but Sarann did know that it just wasn't so in most families. Children were made to grow up quicker and the magic of childhood died so much earlier. It was only as she felt a gloved hand softly brush a tear from her cheek that Sarann realised she was crying.

"Is it for the fairies of this world or the children of your own that you weep?" Captain Hook asked, looking her in the eye.

"Both. The magic of both world's is dying, and I'm not sure either can survive without it."


	5. Chapter 5

Sarann was woken early the next morning, not by the usual knock on her door, but by the general noise of pandemonium out on deck. Startled and curious she rose and dressed swiftly then ran out onto the deck to find the pirates rapidly preparing to set sail. Without a word or needing instruction, Sarann quickly climbed up the rigging to help with the preparations, eternally grateful that her training now allowed her to fit in seamlessly with the crew as they worked.

No word was spoken other than those necessary for the work at hand and soon enough the ship was ready to sail and all the pirates gathered together on deck. After a moment of agitated silence amongst the crew, Sarann all the while burning with curiosity as to what was going on, Captain Hook stepped out on deck. Grinning at the crew he began to speak.

"Well lads the time has come. The Indians, sadly, do not provide all that we need, and desire, so now we return to a world that can. Tomorrow we shall feast heartily."

An almighty cheer arose spontaneously from the assembled crew, Sarann joining in without thinking, the excitement of the upcoming raid filling her with a joy that had to be expressed loudly and raucously. Hook's speech had been short and to the point but it had done its job, the crew were now eager to leave, knowing that hard work lay ahead of them, but thinking only of the joys that would follow. Barking out a few more orders to the crew, Hook then beckoned Smee over to him. Sarann was always amused by Smee's presence, efficient as he seemed as his job, he appeared to be a lousy pirate. Neither fearsome nor intimidating, the few times Sarann had interacted with him, his presence had been almost comforting, not a quality any pirate would be proud of. Sarann saw him very little though; as Hook's right hand man, Smee spent most of his time with the captain, but most of the time that Sarann and the captain were together, they were alone, the result of which was that the only time Sarann saw Smee was when he was on some errand, or like now, when Hook was interacting with the crew.

Smee went running up the stairs to the captain, his short legs making the trip seem almost comical, but none of the crew, Sarann included, dare laugh lest they offend Hook in some way. It seemed to Sarann the crew had a similar opinion of Smee as she did, they respected him, but he certainly wasn't one of them. Once Smee reached Hook, Sarann saw that he was holding an elaborately carved wooden box and her excitement peeked once again, although a stab of sadness shot through her heart. As much as she was anticipating the adventure ahead, she knew of the sacrifice it entailed. Sure enough, as Smee opened the box, Hook reached in and pulled out what looked at first to be a dim sphere of light. A closer look revealed it to be a fairy and not a very healthy one at that. The light that shone from it was sickly and weak and the fairy lay unmoving in Hook's hand, though the light attested that it was still alive. Looking up from where she stood Sarann gazed on the fairy with pity, wishing she could help it but knowing there was no way she could. She felt guilty that they were going to use the poor creature in this way, but took comfort knowing it would die anyway, hollow though that comfort felt.

Summoning Black Calico the first mate to his side, Hook handed over the fairy without a word. Immediately Black Calico started running all over the ship, holding the fairy roughly in his hand, shaking her as he went. Fairy dust poured over the decks and the sides of the ship, covering every surface from decks to rigging. Sarann felt tears prick her eyes at the treatment of the fairy, hating the obvious pain this must be causing, but she refused to cry. Her old human instincts fought with her new pirate ways and lost. No tears fell, but the spectacle tore her up inside. None of the other pirates shared her heart though, as Black Calico ran around the others cheered and moved to their posts, ready to set sail as soon as the dusting was finished.

Though the seconds of pain seemed to drag by for Sarann, soon enough the first mate's task was done and he gave the fairy back to Captain Hook. There was no light coming from it now, not even the dimmest spark, the rough handling and the creation of so much fairy dust had taken the last of the fairy's strength and now it lay in Hook's palm devoid of life. As the rest of the crew took up their places, Sarann walked unconsciously up to where Hook stood. He watched her, curious as to what she would make of the spectacle. There were no tears in her eyes, but the lines of her face showed her anguish and Hook feared he would lose her over this.

As Sarann stood in front of the Captain, he moved his hand, intent on throwing the fairy over board as usual, but Sarann grabbed his wrist before he could do so. She looked up at him with pleading eyes and Hook lost his will to resist. He had broken her, he was confident, this was merely a minor set-back, a moment of compassion. She was his pirate and for this reason alone he gave in to her unspoken request. Beckoning Smee closer he laid the fairy back in the box, closed the lid and handed the box to Sarann, giving her leave to return to her chambers instead of helping with the sailing of the ship. Sarann murmured her thanks and left, not even hearing as Hook shouted orders, not noticing the crew begin to set sail, her eyes and mind fixed on the tiny box she held in her hands and its lifeless contents.

Once she reached her room she carefully closed the door behind her before taking a seat in one of the armchairs, laying the box on her knee and finally dissolving into tears now she was safely in private. She never opened the box, never looked at the tiny creature inside, she only cried for the life that had been taken, filled with guilt at her participation in the event that had caused the fairy's death. She sat there for a long time until the tears had dried and the grief and guilt become numb. Only then did she rise and place the box on a nearby table, intent on burying the fairy once they returned to Neverland. Then she gave her face a quick wash, removing all trace of tears, before stepping back out on deck.

She lost herself in sailing immediately and was soon immersed completely in her work and the view around her. For a long time they sailed the open sea, the island of Neverland fading further and further into the distance until it was no longer visible. Sarann noticed the wind slowly die as the sails slackened, yet the speed of the ship increased. No longer able to contain her curiosity, she climbed up the topmost yardarm on the pretext of helping with the sails, but was soon distracted by what she saw.

The vision of the end of the world had been common amongst sailors before it had been discovered that the Earth was in fact round. A giant waterfall where the Earth ended and all the waters of the oceans and seas poured over it into oblivion. Although the scene did not exist on Earth, it did on Neverland and it was to this end that the ship on which Sarann stood was sailing. Surprisingly she felt no fear, feeling confident that the fairy dust would take them to safety. Now that the fairy was not in her presence, Sarann felt no sorrow for its fate, so fleeting were the emotions of this world. As the waterfall got nearer the ship sped up and Sarann's heart reacted accordingly, her blood racing and her excitement increasing exponentially. All movement on board the ship ceased as the pirates let the current carry them to the edge and over it. But there was no sickening fall, no plunge to the death. The ship carried on as though the water continued, flying through the sky with ease, the fairy dust giving them all the lift they needed.

Suddenly the ship was alive with movement again as the pirates reacted to the new sailing conditions. The wind picked up again and Sarann was as busy as anyone else for a long while. Slowly the light from Neverland faded, leaving the ship alone in the night sky. The stars shone out brilliantly and Sarann found herself studying them as the hours passed and the pirates were left with little to do. The deck was heady with anticipation, each pirate telling anyone who would listen what particular item they were going in search of. From knives and guns, to alcohol and refined tobacco, all the usual delights were wanted. Some too had yearnings for razors, though few ever shaved, processed food stuffs were heartily discussed, some of the pirates were hooked on fast food and though her stomach churned at the thought of it, Sarann guessed more than one McDonalds would be raided before the night was out. For her the needs were simple but no less desired. Chocolate, most importantly, some proper toothpaste and a toothbrush, the 'organic' ways of the island did not suit her tastes at all, various other hygiene products she'd missed over the past few months, pirate she may now be, but that didn't mean she had to smell like the rest. Other than that she'd take what she wanted when she saw it.

As the hours passed the excitement increased though the talk died as each pirate waited impatiently for the hour of action to arrive. Around the ship, all was black other than the stars, and Sarann's curiosity about the journey grew even more. She longed for something to happen, each new step a new adventure, and finally, many, many hours after they had set sail, a call came out from the crow's nest.

"Sea ho."

Immediately every pirate was on his feet and Sarann found herself climbing the rigging for a better look. Sure enough, the sky ahead had lightened and far below them she could just make out the surface of a sea. Her heart pounded with excitement as the ship slowly descended, each pirate taking his post in anticipation of returning to real sailing. Although she had no official post Sarann felt most comfortable up amongst the sails and it was here she stayed, ready to help however she should be needed. After almost an hour the boat finally touched down on the water, entering it smoothly with barely a bump although immediately a strong wind hit the sails and the entire crew went busily to work correcting the course to the captain's orders. Now that they were truly on Earth, Sarann was surprised she felt nothing but excitement and anticipation. Deep down inside she'd expected to feel some sort of melancholy, but so immersed was she in her new life the raid was all she thought about. Looking around her she realised there was no land in sight and the light was simply that of twilight.

For quite a few more hours they sailed, night coming on quickly before they eventually sighted land. The reaction to the cry from the crow's nest was even more jubilant this time and Sarann watched with glee as they approached the distant lights. By this time it was into the small hours of the morning and the dock was empty of people. Sarann had no idea what town this was or even what country and she didn't care. All that mattered were the lights in the distance telling her that civilisation was near and her desires were about to be fulfilled. All thoughts soon went out of her head as she helped dock the ship and then assembled with the rest of the crew for the captain's address.

"Well here we are boys and from now on the night's your own."

A loud cheer greeted this and for a moment Sarann feared it would attract unwanted attention, but she was soon just as caught up in the moment as the rest.

"You each have your assignments for the necessities of the ship, what else you bring depends only on what you can carry. Ship sails in three hours and if you're not on it you're left behind. Now go. Plunder the ripe booty of this fair land."

His eyes held more meaning than his words and Sarann didn't doubt that the brothels would be busy. Some pirate ways would never change.

With the cessation of his speech, the entire crew let out another cheer and proceeded to immediately vacate the ship. Within a minute Sarann and captain Hook were the only two left on board. It seemed Hook had no worries about anything happening to the ship in the pirate's absence and so Sarann turned to leave. A call from Hook stopped her before she could and she waited as he walked towards her.

"Tonight we shall go out together Sarann. Pirate you may now be but the streets at night are still dangerous for a woman."

Sarann couldn't help but laugh at his chivalrous attitude, she pitied any man who crossed her path this evening, but she nevertheless agreed to accompany him, fearing her own powers of getting lost. To be left behind would be dreadful.

Sensing her impatience, Hook headed for the brightest section of town, the centre, where lights were left on all night, the better to help them find what they want. Without hesitation he went straight for a Thornton's shop and watched with delight as pure hunger entered Sarann's eyes. Inevitably the store was shut, as were all the stores, but what was that to a pirate. A mere swipe of his hook and the window went crashing in. An alarm sounded immediately but Hook didn't look the least bothered and so Sarann took her time filling two large carrier bags of her favourite chocolate before following him out the door. Next they found a supermarket, already broken into and a number of pirates were running around inside in a frenzy of excitement. Here Sarann had chance to pick up her hygiene essentials and a lot more of the various types of food she had been craving over the past few months, not least of all an enormous New York style Cheesecake. Her mouth watered as she filled many more bags, eventually reaching as much as she could carry.

In the distance she heard the sirens of police cars and her heart began to pound in a whole new way. Fear and anticipation of a fight mixed in her blood and she looked at Hook for instruction. For his part, Hook looked completely unaffected by the nearing sirens simply heading towards the door, indicating that Sarann should follow. As for the other pirates, most exited the store quickly, running off to their next destination, but one, Nathaniel, stayed behind. As they stepped outside, Hook stopped Carlos, the first pirate who'd taught Sarann how to sail, and told him to return her bags to her cabin on the ship. Carlos obeyed without a word and Sarann found herself empty handed, calmly walking away from the scene of their crime just as two police cars arrived. She expected a confrontation, found herself looking forward to a fight though fearing her skills would fail here. Instead there was nothing. All the men completely ignored her and Hook, rushing inside the store to confront Nathaniel. Sarann glanced at Hook questioningly as they walked away and he laughed at her in response.

"We are pirates Sarann, citizens of Neverland and entirely mythical creatures. Only children or those with the full power of belief could see us. Right now all those policemen see is an empty street. Nathaniel, however, desires a fight, he's been idle too long. With enough will he can make those men see him and no doubt he shall get the fray he so desires."

The cold way Hook spoke chilled Sarann. The 'fray' he spoke of could only lead to bloodshed and Sarann was not yet so heartless as to condone this. She pitied those men the loss of their lives, but did not fear for Nathaniel. He had great skill with his own guns and should he lose the fight it would only prove his unworthiness to sail under Captain Hook. Still, the guilt of the policemen's deaths only increased as she heard the first of many shots ring out, but she did not go back, she followed Captain Hook and soon the store disappeared from both sight and sound.

The remaining time was spent in the same way, breaking into stores, taking what she needed and leaving. For himself, Hook took very little and what he did take he did not allow Sarann to see, making her wait outside whichever shop he had reason to visit. Sarann got herself fully stocked up on material, a hand powered sewing machine and other tailoring supplies, along with the odd modern outfit that took her fancy. She took alcohol and books, food and toiletries, never once thinking about the crimes she was committing, only turning her head from any skirmish she saw between pirate and civilian. Whenever her hands got full Hook would accost a nearby pirate and get him to take the stolen things back to Sarann's room, allowing her to walk on easily. As the end of the three hours drew near they strolled back to the ship to find most of the pirates already aboard. When the appointed departure time arrived neither Nathaniel nor Bill Knives had returned but news of intense conflicts soon reached the captain's ears and it was determined that they would never be returning. Without another word on the matter Hook gave orders to depart and soon they were back out on the open waters, eager to sample their newly acquired goods.

For her part, although she knew she was welcome to return to her room, Sarann did her duty as a sailor just like all the rest. The time came to leave the water much sooner than she had expected and it was only then, as the ship sailed easily through the pre-dawn sky, that the pirates were relieved of their duties. An almighty cheer, louder and heartier than any before arose and within minutes every pirate had a bottle in his hand. Sarann was no exception, nipping back to her room she soon returned with a bottle of Jagermeister in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other. The pirates made room for her as she approached and she sat amongst them, a part of the crew just as much as any of them were now she'd gone on a raid to her own world and returned to them without hesitation.

The drinking and feasting continued long into the night. When the time came to land again on Neverland's waters, a few of the pirates were sober enough to do so, but sailing any further was out of the question. The anchor was dropped and after that, those that had helped land soon caught up to those that had been drinking without restraint. As dawn approached Sarann found herself singing along with all the traditional pirate songs she'd picked up during her stay. She even learned a few of the boisterous pirate dances, although 'dancing' was a very loose term, it looked more like running around drunkenly to Sarann, but she joined in with gusto and loved every minute of it. The Jagermeister went down easily and on that night the alcohol was shared around freely. Even Captain Hook enjoyed more than a few glasses of port, although he never progressed past tipsy.

Dawn had long broken before the revelry calmed, alcohol's sedative affects finally taking over. Sarann found herself slumped on the deck leaning against a barrel and almost asleep when Hook suggested her bed might be a more suitable place to retire. Not wanting to move but realising through her drunken stupor that he was probably right, Sarann struggled to her feet, needing more than a little help from Hook to do so. She was half carried, half stumbled to her room and promptly collapsed on her bed fully dressed. After a moment's hesitation Hook walked over and removed her boots, hat and bandanna before attempting to coax her into getting underneath the covers as opposed to lying on top of them. Sarann struggled to obey but her limbs were rapidly falling back asleep, yet eventually Hook got her all tucked up.

The thought passed through Sarann's mind that he was acting like a nurse maid and it made her giggle drunkenly. Shaking his head at her inebriated state, Hook took a seat on the bed beside her and leant over so her half closed eyes could see him.

"Now what is it that has you so amused Sarann?"

Through her laughter Sarann managed to point out that he was acting like a nurse maid and the thought made Hook smile in a self mocking way. The comment was all too accurate but after her actions of the day Hook was only too willing to do it. She'd proven her worth, faced her past and walked away without any temptation to remain. She was part of his crew now, no matter what the future held, and Hook was proud of her.

For a few seconds Sarann's eyes closed and Hook was about to leave when she opened them again. Her eyes were clear now and wide open. The alcohol flowed through her blood and clouded her brain, but for a while her sight was free from intoxication. She looked up into Hook's eyes and for a moment he was not her captain, he was not a pirate, he certainly wasn't someone who had kidnapped her and her brother, for that moment he was a simply a man and the loneliness of months at sea without anyone close to her overtook her senses. Fuelled by alcohol and loneliness she reached an arm up and placed her hand on Hook's cheek. For his part he did nothing. Sarann was a beautiful girl and from the first time he'd seen her she'd stirred something within him. That part of him that was both male and a pirate was urging him to let this go where it will, but a bigger fear pooled in the back of his mind. Women were fickle things and his plans for this one went well beyond just bedding her. She was drunk and the next day's soberness could well bring regrets and push her away from him. She was too important to lose over a night's pleasure.

As he went to pull away however, Sarann took it upon herself to pull him closer. Her arm wound around his neck and drew him towards her and his resolve disappeared into lust. By time their lips met he was as willing as she and almost as lost. Despite the effects of the alcohol, Sarann was as passionate as Hook, surprising him with her warmth towards him. Kissing him deeply, her leg escaped the covers and wound around his waist, pulling him closer. For a while they lost themselves, barely coming up for air as they clung to each other. It was only as Sarann reached to unbutton his shirt that Hook froze. Images of the past few months flashed through his mind, along with his hopes for the future and he pulled away. He'd put too much effort in to lose her now.

As he pushed himself away from Sarann, he saw her eyes open in confusion, before clouding with anger. No woman took rejection well and with alcohol in the mix and loneliness consuming her, Sarann was furious. Using what remained of her strength, Sarann pushed Hook off her bed, angry beyond words at his rejection of her advances. No words were spoken, although Hook already regretted his actions. He simply filled up a glass with water from a previously prepared jug and placed it beside her bed before taking one last melancholy look at her and then leaving her room.

Once he was gone Sarann dissolved into tears. She didn't truly care about him but the loneliness overtook her in that moment and she desired nothing more than close company. To be denied it so completely hurt her deeply. On top of that, memories of the faces of the police officers Nathaniel had faced haunted her mind. Although Nathaniel had clearly fallen in the fray, no doubt some of the officers had too. She wept in grief and guilt over them and in pity for herself, until the alcohol dulled all her senses and she drifted into blessed unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

It was the nausea that awoke Sarann the next morning, having slept through the rest of the day and the full night. Having a hangover on land was never pleasant but when on a ship, even on a fair sea like the one the Jolly Roger was currently anchored on, every tiny wave made Sarann's stomach roll excruciatingly. From the silence out on deck Sarann assumed she was the only one who had crawled back to consciousness and she envied the others their peace in oblivion.

As she moved her arms above the coverlet, being too warm underneath it, Sarann realised she was still fully dressed. Confused she tried to remember all she could about the previous day and the night's raid but there were some worryingly blank patches to her memory. She remembered the raid perfectly, the excitement racing through her veins as she thought back on her adventure and the goods that awaited her, although the thought of food just made her all the more ill. She could remember most of the journey back, up until they anchored in Neverland, but after that things were just a blur. Drinking, singing, dancing, the hours blended into one until her memory gave out some time near dawn.

Rolling over onto her side, Sarann spotted the glass of water sat by the side of her bed and idly wondered who had left it there. Suddenly she sat bolt upright as her memory finally gave up the events that had occurred just before she'd slept. The motion caused her stomach to heave violently and she just managed to grab a chamber pot before her stomach emptied itself. Once there was nothing left to throw up Sarann put the chamber pot back down on the floor and lay down on the bed, staring up at the canopy above her. Her stomach was now empty but she felt no better. Sickness, a pounding head and now a heart full of regret ailed her. She couldn't think what had possessed her to kiss Captain Hook. She knew she had no feelings for him and, female though she may be, to kiss the captain was a massive breach of the code and she dreaded whatever punishment he was going to mete out to her. Yet she couldn't deny that it had felt good to kiss him, to be kissed, to have someone's arms around her. It had been a long time and the comfort had warmed her. It wouldn't happen again though. With a shudder she vowed to never get that drunk again, to never risk a lapse in judgement and most of all, never relive this hangover again.

Reaching out she picked up the glass of water and took a tentative sip, happy to find she could keep it down but wishing she had some aspirin at hand. A knock on her door pulled her thoughts away from her hangover and she called out for them to come in without thinking. At the sight of Hook Sarann blushed furiously, embarrassed at the memory of how she'd thrown herself at him the previous day. Hook, however, showed no outward sign that he even remembered the event. In his hands he held a plate with fried eggs and bacon. No doubt he meant it to be a good thing, but the smell of it brought back Sarann's nausea worse than ever. Clamping a hand over her mouth, Sarann sincerely hoped she wouldn't throw up again, she didn't need anything else to be embarrassed over.

"Are you not feeling up to breakfast yet?" Hook asked, seeing her reaction.

"Mmm-mm." Sarann mumbled, shaking her head in case her answer was unclear.

"How about this?" He said, holding up a packet of Resolve hangover cure.

Sarann's eyes lit up at the sight, mentally thanking whoever had had the foresight to steal some Resolve on the raid. Hook laughed at her reaction before putting down her breakfast down outside, closing the door and then preparing the hangover cure for her. Sarann managed to force it down and then waited a few minutes for her stomach to settle enough for her to be confident enough that the Resolve wasn't going to come back up, before she managed to thank Hook. His reply was polite but his tone aloof. Without any words being spoken, Sarann knew her actions before going to sleep had not been well received. As the humiliation washed over her she was desperate not to have to talk about it, but she knew she would have to bring it up at some point, find out her punishment if nothing else. More than anything though she felt the need to apologise.

"James," She began, unsure of how to go on. A look came over Hook's face at the use of his name, but Sarann couldn't interpret it. "I'm sorry, about last night. I was out of order. I'd had too much to drink and I crossed the line. I'll accept any punishment you deem necessary."

Although her voice was strong, inside Sarann was afraid. Women weren't generally allowed on pirate ships, so nowhere in the code had laws for this type of thing been set down. She wasn't sure just how big an insult she'd given, for all she knew Moses's law could be put into effect. As she thought about what that involved a shudder of fear went down her spine, but she forced herself to keep looking into Hook's eyes, to take her punishment like the pirate she was.

"A pirate takes what they can Sarann. Yesterday you aimed too high. A captain must not dally with his crew and for that you were rebuked."

He seemed about to say more, but closed his mouth abruptly. His face held an emotion that Sarann could not interpret, though something inside her told her it was regret. Regret for what he was about to do? She couldn't know. Taking a deep breath Hook continued and Sarann held her breath as she awaited her sentence.

"There is no official punishment for a crime such as this. Hold your tongue about the matter and this'll be the end of it."

His tone said more than his words and Sarann knew she could never cross that line again. She was relieved that she would get no punishment and in her current state that one emotion was all she was allowed. Hook informed her that the ship would remain berthed where it was until dawn the next day. He gave Sarann leave to remain in her room until then and departed. Sarann considered going back to sleep but her hangover dragged her back into consciousness time and time again, so she settled in with one of the books she's pilfered on the raid and resigned herself to a nice lazy day.

One by one the rest of the pirates, most still strewn around on deck, regained consciousness and Sarann felt their pain with every groan, yet she never left her room. For the rest of the crew there was little to do; although the ship had been hastily anchored, they soon had her properly set up for the rest of the day and then all that remained was to drink the hangover away gradually.

Around noon Sarann's stomach had improved enough for her to consider some food. A quick peep around the door showed her that the breakfast had been taken away, but she had more than enough food now stashed away from the raid to keep her from going hungry. A proper sandwich soon had her feeling much better and by dinner she was well enough to start in on one of the cheesecakes. After so long on basic food, the luxuries she now had tasted incredible. Her sweet tooth was finally sated and as the day wore on her usual happy personality took over. By sun down she was back out on deck with the other pirates, drinking away again, although in significantly smaller quantities than before.

As for Hook, the day for him was less pleasant. Plagued by regrets at the way he'd rejected Sarann, his mind gave him no peace. Although he knew his actions had been necessary, it didn't make them any easier to bear. He wouldn't admit to anyone, not even himself, how he truly felt about the girl and the denial riled his temper to fever pitch. Smee soon left him alone, not knowing his captain's mind but knowing it was best all around if Hook was left to himself. Angered more by his own weakness than anything else Hook threw himself into new plans for the coming weeks. Sarann had passed every test he'd thrown at her so far but there was still one to come, the biggest and most dangerous adventure at all. Sarann was as ready as she ever would be and the rest of the crew were growing restless with so long without any real fighting.

Hook spent hours poring over a map of the island, trying to discern the lost boys new hideout. It had long ago moved from the hanging trees, Hook had tracked it so far somewhere into the hills but he could get no closer than that. Before Sarann had arrived he'd been strategically sending the crew out to scour the land and now he felt it was time to continue. Sarann had faced everything except her brother. By now he would be trained and a full lost boy, just as she was a true pirate. The raids would resume, sooner or later Sarann would face her brother. And she would kill him. Of that, Hook had no doubt.


	7. Chapter 7

As morning broke work began again with a vengeance. The revelries of the past few days needed cleaning up, a few repairs that had gone unnoticed by the less than healthy pirates the previous day needed fixing, the looted goods had to be properly stowed away and the duties of those who had not returned from the raid were reassigned. A good few went to Sarann as she had no official duties other than working with those that needed her, but the assignment of a proper position, that of one of the gun crew working under the master gunner, in addition to her role in the raid made her feel as if she were finally one of the crew.

The morning was spent familiarising herself with her new duties before they cast off and made their way back to their cove near Neverland Island. As before, Sarann ate with Captain Hook, pleased to find the atmosphere hadn't changed between them although they were both hiding their feelings on the matter of the kiss and the rejection. Sarann still felt shame and Hook regret, but they disguised them well and the meals passed pleasantly enough. That evening the pirates fell to drinking again and Sarann realised this would be the general way of things until the alcohol ran out, which, as much as they'd looted, she didn't see as being too far in the future at the rate they were drinking.

For herself, she drank, but in moderation, keeping to her resolution to not relive that awful hangover or the embarrassing actions her inebriated state had led her to. Hook was pleased by her restraint, feeling the retaining of her inhibitions would help him with the containment of his urges. Her advances had fuelled the fire within him and it was only with constantly reminding himself of his plans for her that he was able to keep his hands to himself.

The next morning Hook revealed his plans for renewing his search for the lost boys. An almighty cheer erupted from the crew, eager for conflict and bloodshed. This was not the world of fairy tales and happy endings, these pirates weren't cute and cuddly. They lived for destruction and death and each raid was an opportunity for both. Sarann knew this and felt the same anticipation rise in her blood, although it was slightly quenched by an unease over death. She remembered her tears over the fairy and the dead policemen though she no longer remembered the feel of the emotion that had caused them. It was only as she helped some of the others ready one of the boats for launch that she found the true reason for their great enthusiasm.

The pirates anticipation spilled over into songs, getting more and more bawdy as they went on. Sarann joined in at first then contented herself with simply laughing at the ridiculous and downright explicit lyrics.

"Aye, ye can laugh girl, but adventures are at hand an mehbe ye'll get a chance at yer first kill." Bowes said.

The thought sent a shiver down Sarann's spine but she couldn't name the emotion.

"Mehbe we'll all get a chance to kill at that." Raven Pete joined in. "'S been too long since we went a-hunting and I fer one wer wondering when t' Cap'n was gonna get us back out an searching."

"How long has it been?" Sarann asked.

"Well how long ya been here girl?" Raven Pete asked right back.

The question brought her up short, a pang of pain in her heart hinted at memories forgotten, but all Sarann could remember was her life here and the joy it had brought. Whatever had come before didn't matter now and she firmly put the thought out of her mind. Seeing that she didn't know, Raven Pete carried right on.

"Well it wer before then anyhow. We were wondering if t' Cap'n had got bored of the search but heres we go again an it's not our place to be asking why."

Sarann found herself wondering why Hook had given up on searching for the lost boys since she'd arrived, but by this point all memories of her brother had been firmly erased from her mind. She had no knowledge of Jake, no lingering love for him. Her life consisted of this ship, her duties to it and whatever adventures it may bring her way. To delve further into her past seemed futile, a waste of time when there were so many things to keep her mind busy in the present and right now the immediate future glared like sunlight and blinded all other thoughts from her mind.

It was with no little surprise that she found herself in the raiding party. She'd proven herself on the raid to her old land and she knew she had further tests to pass, just as she knew neither captain nor crew worried she would fail them. She was a part of the crew now and so she would remain. They had faith that in time she would become as ruthless and cruel as they, they'd already seen her transformation so far and looked forward to what was still to come.

As the morning of the raid dawned, Sarann arose earlier than usual, eager to be off but only succeeding in giving herself longer to sit around with nothing to do as she waited for the other pirates who were going on the raid to finish their duties. Every second seemed to drag as anticipation gripped Sarann's heart. She eat a normal hearty breakfast only because Hook threatened to remove her from the raid if she didn't calm down and fortify herself for the journey.

Once all the morning's duties were performed, Sarann returned to her cabin and retrieved the little wooden box that held the fairy corpse. Sarann no longer felt pity or grief for the poor creature, simply a duty to bury it properly. After that those selected for the raid made their way to one of the lifeboats and began lowering themselves to the water. Sarah's heart was pounding with excitement and expectation of her first fight and she wasn't the only one looking forward to what was to come. There were no songs on the ride to the shore, stealth being the name of the game, surprise the nature of the adventure, but the tension hung thick in the air and when they reached the shore and had tied up the boat all five of them set off at a swift pace, eager for what was to come. They made their way quickly towards the hills, but the island was tricky to traverse and they had to stop for the noon meal before they set off up into the hills themselves. As the others were finished their meals Sarann went off to one side and buried the fairy by herself. She was surprised by a small pang of pain as she laid the cold, dark body in the earth but by the time she'd filled in the hole and returned to the group her heart had forgotten all about it.

The pirates followed the path Hook had marked out on a map of Neverland, continuing where the raids had left off before Sarann's arrival. They looked under every bush, moved every stick and lifted every stone in an attempt to find the hideaway or the secret trigger that would open it. The hours dragged by as each pirate anticipated hearing a scuffle or a cry that would indicate the presence of a lost boy nearby, but other than the small sounds they made themselves and the quiet sounds of nature that surrounded them, they heard nothing. They reached the end of their designated search area just before sunset and as darkness fell, dejected and forlorn, they made their way back to the ship with heavy hearts, disappointed that they'd found nothing at all in their search.

For those who had been in the days raiding party it was a quiet meal when they reached the ship long after darkness began to reign, but for the rest of the crew the prospect of more hunts lay before them and the upbeat atmosphere remained. Hook set out a rota of raiding parties and organised for one to go out each day following the strategic paths he had laid out for finding the hiding place of their miniature foes. They'd had months without searching so everyone was eager to continue them and their increased pace only made everything more exciting. As each party set out on a morning, the rest of the crew eagerly awaited their return, dreaming of the battles that would come when a raid was successful, but as each raid came back even more doleful than the previous one, the initial excitement began to wear off. Weeks of failure returned the ship to its normal state of repairs, upkeep and general mischief.

For Sarann though, things were different. Each raid brought on fresh bouts of excitement and as each party she was not involved in came back with no success it only increased her hope that she would be on the hunt that found the lost boys. She longed to be there when the hideaway was found, wanted to feel that elation of discovery and prove through her actions what a great pirate she was. On the days she was stuck on the ship she was restless and desultory. Her chores were done to an unsatisfactory level or left half done. No longer was she the happy, excitable companion the other pirates had come to befriend, now she was absent minded and often found herself stopping in the middle of a task to stare across the water at the island and wonder what the pirates out there were doing and if they'd found anything yet.

Captain Hook saw this change in her and wished to cultivate it, enjoying how eagerly she threw herself into this new adventure and seeing his plans for her blossom before his eyes. He often scolded her for her lack of work on the ship but within the hour she was back to her distracted ways and he grew tired of rebuking her, knowing she'd sort herself out in time.

There was another reason for her preoccupied state that Hook was not aware of, and indeed Sarann mentioned it to no one. Her days were tense with anxiety and excitement over the raids, but her nights were broken and restless. The faces of the policeman Nathaniel had faced and most likely killed haunted her dreams. She'd awaken seeing them lying on their backs, faces covered in blood, looking at her with violent accusations in her eyes. She'd see them in coffins, weeping wives and children bending over them. Their corpses stumbled after her, condemning her for her part in the raid. For all she longed for a confrontation with the lost boys, those deaths which were not caused by her hands haunted her mind and gave her no rest. Tired and restless, her days on the ship were long and full of torment, but each search she went on renewed her spirit, only to have it crushed that same night with vivid images of murdered policemen.

It was over a month later that things finally changed. The other pirates had already grown bored of the hunts, weeks of fruitless searching had dampened their spirits and drowned their enthusiasm, turning the raiding parties into just another chore and leaving them to drink all the more heavily. Sarann dreaded what would happen when the alcohol finally ran out. They'd managed to drink over two thirds of their stores already and Sarann knew they wouldn't be going back to her old world to renew them for a long time. Her own alcohol cache could keep her going for many a month longer, but the idea of drinking alone did not fill her with happiness and she knew when the time came she'd hand our her stash until that was all gone too. She considered suggesting they brew it themselves but they lacked the necessary equipment and, knowing this bunch as they did, they'd no doubt somehow end up poisoning themselves through the attempt.

For now though, they had what they needed and the search continued. The other pirates in her raiding party had grown lax though and Sarann found herself wincing at every sound they made on their searches. The slightest rustle seemed to echo deafeningly and she knew that if they did manage to find the hideaway, they certainly wouldn't be surprising the lost boys. It was as Sarann was silently cursing Bowes for sending a large rock clattering down the hill that she realised what had been playing on her mind for the past few hours, why everything they did sounded so loud. There were no other sounds. Standing still and ordering the others to be silent, Sarann listened carefully but there was nothing to hear other than the sound of the breeze whispering through the leaves. There were no birds twittering, no reptiles creeping through the grass, no insects, no life other than the pirates.

The thought slammed into her mind that there could be only one reason for the lack of life around them and that was the presence of other life that had driven it all out. With a grin of triumph Sarann knew the lost boys hideaway had to close and a few significant looks conveyed this realisation to the other pirates. Their enthusiasm of weeks ago returned and they resumed their search with added vigour and significantly decreased noise. No doubt the lost boys had created a lot of noise when they'd moved to this area, making the hideaway and the secret entrance. Combined with target practice and combat training it wouldn't have made the area attractive for wildlife resulting in the unnatural quiet that bathed the area.

The pirates examined each bush, each hollow, each blade of grass, scouring with herculean effort until the sun went down with no success for them to show for it. Sarann was fuming, refusing to give up now they knew they were looking in the right place, but in the dark, even if they used their torches, it would be too easy to miss something important. She refused to go back to the ship and let tomorrow's raiding party be the ones to discover the hideaway, she knew this was where it would be found and she wanted to find it herself. A short discussion with the others brought them around to her way of thinking. They all wanted the glory of the discovery and the rewards that would go with it. Why should tomorrows party get the credit for their work? Sarann's words were eloquent and persuasive and it wasn't long until she got the others to agree to stay up on the hill that night and send one person back to inform Hook of what was going on. That way they could start their search again as soon as the sun rose and it would be their success when they found the hideaway, and they had no doubts that they would find it the next day.

A long and heated, yet quiet for prudence sake, debate was held over who would go back to the ship as it meant they wouldn't be there for the discovery the next day. In the end Sarann agreed that whoever went back would inform the captain then return the next morning with more food supplies, in order to still be involved in the search. There were still no volunteers but when they drew straws, or pieces of grass, Bowes went away with minimal grumblings when he pulled the shortest length.

For the rest of them it was a long, restless night out in the open. The uneven ground, the unnatural night time sounds of the nocturnal creatures who hadn't been scared away, and the prospect of high adventures kept the pirates awake for a good long time. So tired was Sarann when she finally drifted off that her sleep was unbroken, no visions of dead policemen troubled her mind and she woke up more keen for conflict than ever.

They all began searching again as soon as they awoke, but by the time Bowes returned a couple of hours later, they still hadn't found anything. When he'd relayed the days events to Hook on his return to the ship, Hook had been delighted with the promising turn of events, but he was less than happy that Sarann had taken it on herself to keep the rest of the party up on the hill without first consulting him. Nevertheless, he'd loaded up Bowes with a few days worth of food supplies the next day and sent him back off before dawn with three more pirates to help with the search.

The hunt continued painstakingly throughout the entire day. The pirates scoured every inch of land, bush and tree, looking for even the smallest indication of the hideaway. Now they'd found what looked to be a definite indication that they were in the right place, they worked like madmen, and woman, stopping only briefly for lunch then working right up until sundown when it was too dark to search anymore. By the time they stopped their spirits were slightly damped by the failure, but they still had further to search, more area where there were no signs of wildlife, so there was still definite hope left.

Captain Hook had left word that at the end of the day the three extra pirates he'd sent should return and he'd send three more the next day. He allowed Sarann and the four original pirates of the raid to stay out on the hill again that night, just in case Peter Pan and the lost boys tried to enter or leave their hideout in the middle of the night. No one was sure whether they were trapped inside the hideout or whether the pirates had come upon them when they were out and so they were caught outside. It seemed sure that they wouldn't risk going in or coming out with the pirates so close by so Sarann simply hoped they had been caught inside.

After a second day's long hard search on the hill, sleep came easily to those who were staying up there. Their anticipation of the next day's hunt was slightly decreased by two days failure, added to the lack of sleep for the previous night, all the pirates were asleep within an hour of laying down. Even Sarann. But two nights without nightmares was too much to ask and Sarann had only just drifted off when the face of the policeman who had first arrived at the store appeared in her dreams. His face streamed with blood from the multitude of cuts that criss-crossed his forehead, wounds no doubt inflicted by Nathaniel. The apparition did not speak, did not move, it simply stood there, blood running down its face, falling into its eyes, dripping off its nose and chin. As Sarann watched one of the drops land on the policeman's uniform it drew her eyes to the stab wound in his chest and she watched the blood infuse his uniform and begin to pour down.

The silence, the stillness of the figure only increased Sarah's horror, guilt that she'd just left the store, allowed this atrocity to occur, tore at her heart and when the policeman finally lifted a hand to point at her in accusation, the terror overcame her and she woke up, drenched in sweat with her heart pounding.

For a few seconds she sat there, breathing heavily, completely unaware of her surroundings, trying to cling onto the dream, knowing she had to, knowing her subconscious mind was trying to tell her something. Yet as always, the magic of Neverland stole over her mind within seconds of her awakening. Neverland helped everyone slip into the role they were put in by erasing anything that would hinder them in reaching their potential. For Sarann, she was a pirate and these feelings of guilt over the policemen were not conducive to that role. So Neverland made her forget, she remembered the dreams, but not the feelings that went with them. Therefore, within a minute of awakening, she felt no remorse, no fear, nothing except a profound agitation at being awakened in the middle of the night. Little did she know that it probably saved her life.

**A/N Thank you as always to everyone who reads and a special thank you to those who review! **


	8. Chapter 8

Once the emotions of the dream had ended Sarah began to focus on the reality surrounding her and instantly she knew that something was not right. With a bound she was on her feet, sword in hand, looking around in the dark for the enemy she knew must be near. And she wasn't wrong. As the unnaturally bright moon showed her the scene laid out in front of her she gasped in shock. They were surrounding by lost boys.

Not only were they severely outnumbered, at least three to one, but the boys had already managed to silently tie up two of the pirates without waking the other three. With a yell of rage Sarah brought the others to consciousness, thanking whatever God had sent her the dream that had awakened her and stopped all of them being captured without a fight.

As soon as the other two pirates heard Sarann's yell they scrambled to their feet, reaching for their swords as they did so, and then stood perfectly still in shock as they saw what Sarann had seen. For an endless few seconds no one moved. The pirates grew angry at the ambush, mentally berating themselves for not keeping a look out at night, whilst the lost boys stared in surprise that their cunning plan of ambushing the pirates in their sleep had failed. Still, they had the superior numbers and they'd already managed to tie up two of the enemy and therefore take them out of the fight. They knew they had a very strong advantage, and so, with grins of anticipation, they all reached for their swords and turned to face the three free pirates.

There was a moment of silence as the two groups stood facing each other; Sarann and the two pirates back to back, facing the ring of lost boys around them. The calm before the storm seemed to last forever, although in reality it was mere seconds. Eventually the blood lust in Sarann boiled over and with another yell of fury she launched herself at the nearest lost boy. She caught him by surprise and the usually adept boy barely had time to defend himself against her first swing of the cutlass. The first was all he could do. Months of intense practise and frustration at no real fighting overwhelmed Sarann and her initial blow was immediately followed by another, too fast for the boy to even register let alone deflect, and Sarann had stabbed the boy in the heart before he'd even seen her sword move.

Before the boy hit the ground, his eyes wide open in shock as his lifeblood poured rapidly out of him, Sarann had turned on the next one. By this time the fight had begun with a vengeance. At Sarann's bellow the other pirates had followed her example and launched themselves into the fray. With so many enemies and so few allies, the fight was a bloody one. The pirates had the superior skills and strength, but the lost boys had sheer numbers on their side. Each pirate found themselves facing four or five boys each and to avoid injury at those odds was impossible. Sarann found herself parrying in all directions yet as quick as she was, more than one sword managed to bite into her skin. The wounds were superficial though. As fiercely as her foes defended themselves, their attacks lacked conviction. A blow from her sword would have taken off an arm if it had managed to find its target, yet the boys gave her only stinging cuts.

Sarann had no time to think on this though, she was too busy trying to defend herself. She made very few thrusts, instead spending all her time deflecting blows from the opposition. Five to one was an impossible fight to win but Sarann refused to give up. There is no honour in surrender, only in a death well fought. As the fight dragged on though, fatigue began to set in. Sarann had no chance to untie the two captured pirates so focused was she on her own fight, but she wished dearly for their help in reducing the numbers she fought. One by one though her enemies increased. Five became six, six turned into seven. Soon all the lost boys were just standing around her, waiting for an opportunity to join the fight. Sarann knew what that meant and her fury only increased. The lost boys would not join her fight if their own fights hadn't ended. That they all surrounded her now could only mean that the other pirates were dead and this knowledge worked her up into a frenzy.

Her defence became attack and she suffered a lot more injuries, shallow and superficial as before, but she was now losing blood at an increasing rate. Sarann was aware of none of this however, so focused was she on avenging the deaths of her fellow crew mates. Her thrusts increased in frequency and it wasn't long before one found its target. As her sword hit its second heart Sarann felt a trail of fire on her back as one of the boys behind her dragged his sword along it. As she turned around quickly she felt her head spin and for a second her vision gave out as the loss of blood began to take its toll. Sarann was not beaten though, on the contrary her weakness only fuelled her anger and as her vision returned she raised her arms preparing to take the head off the boy in front of her. Her sword fell swiftly but time seemed to slow for Sarann. Her vision finally cleared fully and she got a first glimpse of the face in front of her. A sweet little childish face, innocent blue eyes staring out of a face spattered with her own blood. Her arm faltered as it fell, the power emptied it and her brain screamed for it to halt altogether as it took in the sight in front of her. With a gasp of shock Sarann threw her sword to the ground to stop it from contacting with the neck that a mere second ago had been it's only destination.

Sarann tried to take a step back from the horror in front of her, her mind filled with confusion, her heart pounding in fear, but the boys surrounding her had not had time to react to her change of stance and more than one sword bit into her skin as she did so. Exhausted from a long fight against many foes, loss of blood and ,ultimately, confusion, Sarann's body finally gave out and with one last glance of pain towards that small, small boy in front of her, she fell into unconsciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

Sarann awoke to candlelight and at first assumed she was in her cabin. However, the sound of scuffling feet , those not of man or rodent, soon brought her to her senses and she sat up hastily to assess her surroundings only to find her head collide with a very low, very solid, roof. Cursing as well as any pirate she held her hand to her temple until the pain receded to a dull throb before opening her eyes to take a look around.

She found herself in some kind of wooden bunk bed. A thin but comfy mattress lay beneath her, piled up at her head for a makeshift pillow. The walls and roof of the bunk were solid wood, the planes rough, almost as though it had been carved out of a tree. It would have to be an enormous tree though, Sarann mused. Even though she couldn't stretch out her legs, the bed had to be five feet long. Turning her head Sarann gazed out of the bed and took in her surroundings.

In a second she was out of bed, on her feet in a fighting stance and searching for the sword that was no longer attached to her belt. Sarann was facing ten lost boys, all armed which probably accounted for them not reacting to her defensive stance. A quick glance told her the boys ranged between ten and fourteen and they were all watching her with more than a little interest, all wondering what she would do next, yet none truly afraid of the unarmed pirate.

For her part Sarann was confused and disorientated. Jumping from the bed had caused a lot of the cuts she'd sustained in the fight to reopen and the loss of blood from earlier had left her light-headed. Trying to keep focus, never letting her guard down from the enemy in front of her, Sarann took a better look around the room and was stunned to find herself underground. The walls and roof of the chamber were completely made of earth, the roof showing a network of root systems that clearly helped keep the soil above their heads stable. Looking around at the walls she saw a few enormous trees, no doubt the same as the one currently behind her, all with beds carved out of them. There were twelve beds in the room and Sarann couldn't help but wonder how many lost boys there were left.

The rest of the room was sparsely decorated. A tree stump in the centre acted as a table, strewn with various cups and plates. Around it odd items such as boxes, a piano stool and a beer barrel served as chairs. The lost boys were all lined up along the bare wall opposite Sarann where they'd run at the first sounds of her awakening. Even unarmed they knew she was dangerous. For a while they all stood there staring at each other, neither side sure of how to react. After a few seconds Sarann dropped her defensive stance and took a seat on the lower bunk behind her. In her current state she was having trouble standing up, let alone doing any kind of fighting, right now it was best to conserve her strength. Seeing her obvious weakness the lost boys put away their swords and after some hurried whispering between them, one of them left the room.

The silence deepened as the boys continued to watch their prisoner and Sarann sat with her head between her knees trying to clear her mind enough to come up with some plan for escape. A noise outside the room caught her attention and she raised her head in time to see Peter Pan come flying in the door. For a while she stared in shock. She'd lived in Neverland for months but never once had she seriously thought about meeting Peter Pan face to face.

As he flew to hover in front of her, hands on hips, head held high, mouth stretched into an arrogant grin, Sarann simply gazed at him, unable to figure out what she should do with the situation she'd been presented with. Peter Pan stared back with a look that clearly indicated he expected her to make the first move but after a few seconds of dumb silence Sarann realised there was nothing she could do. She was outnumbered, injured and exhausted. She could barely even stand at that moment, what could she possibly do against Peter Pan and his entire crew of lost boys?

With a barely audible sigh Sarann lowered her head, breaking their eye contact and, unbeknownst to her, wiping Pan's grin off his face. He floated lower to the floor, keeping his hands on hips stance, and studied her for a few more seconds before speaking.

"Why do you not fight?" Pan asked, curiosity plastered across his face.

"If you were going to kill me, you would have done already." Sarann replied, not even bothering to raise her head to look at him, so weary was she.

"See boys, I told you she had brains!" Pan crowed.

"Not enough to figure out _why_ you haven't killed me." Sarann said, lifting her head this time, curiosity getting the better or her. "Somehow I get the feeling you haven't let the other pirates live."

There was anger in her voice now and it gave her energy. Peter, for his part, kept up his now constant grin, hovering about but never still. His hyper activeness was doing nothing for Sarann's exhaustion.

"Of course not, wouldn't be much of a game if we just let them go at the end. Death's the greatest adventure of all and we're proud to start them on their way." Peter answered.

"You play games but not by the rules." Was Sarann's retort.

Peter's smile faded and anger replaced it, only helping to rile up Sarann's own emotions. Those pirates were her companions, their loss and her own sense of failure were coming to the fore as rage.

"Attacking while we were sleeping, taking pirates out of the fight by tying them up, outnumbering us to impossible odds... bad form Peter."

The words had their desired effect; within seconds Peter and all the assembled lost boys had drawn their swords and were facing her with murderous rage in their eyes. Sarann's face remained hostile but inside she was smiling. To lose in combat to the lost boys was shameful and it was a disgrace she was not about to bear for much longer. Death was truly the greatest adventure, and to her twisted pirate heart, it was better than living with defeat.

But there was one face in that room that held sorrow, not hatred. One pair of hands that held only air, his sword remaining firmly in its holster. It was the same boy whose face had turned Sarann's attack aside. As Jake watched his sister antagonise his new family he was fighting back the tears. He knew who she was, he'd known since the instant she'd turned to face him last night, but whereas his entire memory had returned at that moment, Sarann's had not.

For Jake, life in Neverland had been very different. He too had been taught to fight, but his lessons had been games, childish pass times. Along with chores and play, his whole time on the island had been one big adventure. Dancing with the Indians, swimming with the mermaids, following the leader on long treks into the hills... For the lost boys the island was one big adventure playground, the violence of their lives was just another game. Sword training was no different to hide and seek and Jake had loved his new home and his new family. Like Sarann, his memories had faded, but for a child it is different. Their innocence makes all life an adventure, everything is possible. The move to Neverland is not as much as a shock to them as it is to adults, so although faded, they do retain those memories much closer to the surface and a reminder of their old life can bring everything to the fore, as seeing his sister had the night before.

At first he had been confused as he remembered his life and family back in London. Quickly though, confusion turned to joy as his love for the sister shone through, but the joy was erased almost instantly as he watched Sarann faint away. He'd waited patiently by her side as Stix had washed and dressed her wounds and then waited less patiently for her to awaken. He'd expected joy upon seeing her eyes flutter, but the person he'd watched over for hours just didn't seem to be the sister he'd remembered. When he'd realised she was finally awakening he reacted the same way the other boys had; with fear at having a pirate inside their den, and he'd drawn his sword and backed away while Sarann had fully awakened.

He'd waited with fear and misery for Peter to come but things weren't any better now. Here was his older sister inviting his new friends to kill her. Being the innocent he was, the death of the other pirates last night had washed over him like a bad dream, another adventure, the power of Neverland making those deaths less than reality and allowing the lost boys to continue their games in peace. But this was different, this was his sister and he barely recognised her. It wasn't just the clothes, there was a fierceness in her eyes that scared him, a pirate-ness about her whole character that made her less his sister and more an enemy. And what scared him most of all, was that she had yet to notice that he was even in the room. When the other boys had re-drawn their swords, angry at her words, Jake's sorrow had kept him immobile and now he just watched.

"And what do you know about bad form?" Peter asked Sarann angrily.

"Enough to know that attacking a sleeping enemy is a coward's move."

Her venomous words tipped Pan over the edge and his sword was in his hand and raised before he'd even begun to think about the consequences of what he was about to do. As for Sarann, she simply closed her eyes. Her time had come, the next big adventure was here and she welcomed it as an alternative to her shameful defeat. She waited for the sword to fall with peace in her heart, but was forced to open her eyes a few seconds later when the stroke never came. With surprise she saw another boy floating in front of her next to Pan, his arms holding on to the hand in which Peter held his sword, stopping him from killing Sarann.

Sarann stared in confusion at this new boy, remembering him as the one who'd stopped her in the fight, recognising something in his face, feeling a strange pain in her heart but ultimately having no idea who he was. The boy's face showed its own pain as Jake realised his sister had no idea who he was and Pan simply looked between the two of them before laughing and sheathing his sword.

"Well Sockz, you're right, the game would be over if I killed her now."

"Sockz?" Sarann asked, wondering where she knew this boy from.

"We call him Sockz because he lost one sock, so it's a reminder to not lose the other one." Pan said, obviously proud of his strange wit.

"How old are you?" Sarann asked disdainfully, annoyed by his immaturity.

"Physically, mentally or chronologically?" Pan asked laughing.

Sarann couldn't even think of a way to answer that, she was still too dazed by everything that had happened. Pan, seeing her confusion, laughed once more and flew to the table, knocking everything off it and sitting down cross legged before answering her question.

"Well chronologically, I was born in 1902, so that makes me 108 years old. Physically, I was nine when I came here and stopped ageing, but with all the time I've spent in your world I've now reached the bodily age of seventeen."

There was a pride in his voice as he said these words, and by the way he crossed his arms and puffed his chest out, he clearly expected Sarann to be impressed by this. The looks on the other lost boys' faces at these words though showed how they felt about his ageing. They spent very little time in her old world, if any at all, consequently they had barely aged in all the years they'd been here. They loved Peter and they respected him as their leader, but it was clear to see that they were less than happy at him being so old now.

"And mentally?" Sarann asked, struggling to keep up in her weakened state.

"Mentally I'm whatever age the situation requires." Pan answered with a childish laugh that had the other boys giggling along but sent some uncomfortable shivers down Sarann's spine. There was of course one boy who wasn't laughing.

"My real name's Jake." He said quietly, bringing Sarann's attention back to himself.

The name sent a jolt through Sarann, but no memories stirred.

"Forget it Sockz, she's gone. When you become a pirate, there's no turning back." Pan said.

The comment only served to anger the already upset little boy.

"Then why are you bothering with her if there's no coming back?"

His words stopped Peter short and after failing to come back with a witty retort he leaned his chin on his hand and set to thinking the problem over. Sarann continued to stare at Jake, oblivious to who he was, desperately searching her head for some clue. Jake stared back in desperate hope, but he could see no recognition in her eyes. Eventually Peter jumped to his feet in the air and snapped his fingers with his revelation.

"She's a girl!"

"It took you that long to figure that out?" Sarann asked with derision.

"No." Pan shot back with childish anger. "But you're a girl and there's never been any girl pirates before so maybe if you stay here then we can bring you back."

Hope flared out once more within Jake and his face lit up with a grin. Sarann remained unconvinced, but more importantly, confused.

"Bring me back from where?"

"From bring a pirate." Pan answered, proudly, already congratulating himself on the feat he had yet to accomplish.

"But I'm a pirate, that's who I am."

"You weren't always a pirate though."

"Well of course I've always been a p..." Saran began, before stopping dead.

As she'd said the words a vague memory had entered her head and she'd realised what she was saying wasn't true. The memory was distorted, faded, barely there, but she remembered a room. It was not a room on Neverland, nor was it a room she'd been in on the raid to that other world, yet suddenly she knew that this room did exist on that other world. For a time that was all her mind would give her but she kept at it, kept straining to remember more. She thought back on her time in Neverland, thought back as long as she could remember, and was shocked and scared by how little memory she had. Months, that was all. She remembered the raids, and her work on the ship, she remembered the training and knew that this must mean she hadn't always been a pirate, but what came before that training? Nothing, just that room she could hardly see.

Peter Pan and the lost boys watched her in silence as they saw her struggling to recall her old life. Peter with that same arrogant grin as he knew the process of remembering had begun, the others still a little unsure about having a pirate in their home, female or not. And Jake. Jake stood holding his breath, praying for his big sister to remember who he was. He had no way of knowing that the room Sarann was struggling to remember was his bedroom. That her happiest and therefore strongest memories from her old life were the times she'd spent telling him stories before bedtime. Try as she might though, Sarann could not access those memories by herself, and it was only by chance that she managed to unlock them at all. Unable to remain still anymore, desperate for his sister back, Jake had slowly reached out his hand and placed it gently on Sarann's arm. Shocked by the unexpected touch, Sarann's head had shot up to look at the boy and the combination of seeing his loving face while she tried so hard to remember was exactly what she needed.

The vague memory suddenly came into exquisite detail. She saw herself sat on Jake's bed, telling him a story, as he bounced up and down with excitement. Looking at the boy in front of her, she remembered him as her brother and although that one memory was all she regained, all her love for her little brother came rushing back in the same instant and tears filled her eyes as she pulled Jake into a hug.

Pan crowed in triumph at this development and the other lost boys visibly relaxed as the pirate in front of them became no more than a loving big sister. All swords were put away and although no boys rushed to join in the hug, they did all move closer and happiness reigned triumphant over fear.

Jake and Sarann were both lost to tears by this point. Both had missed their sibling without even being aware of it and the reunion was one of both joy and regret. For Jake he had his sister back, but she was very much changed and the knowledge made him uneasy. As for Sarann, She was so happy being able to hug her brother, but she worried that so little of her memory had returned. There were other sources of grief for her though, just as that one memory had broken through the barrier Neverland had put up, so too had some of her old feelings. The horror of the crimes she had committed was only just beginning to come through, but her tears still held more sorrow than joy.

By the time their tears were exhausted, so was Sarann. The fight and injuries had taken a lot out of her and after such an emotional reunion, she was struggling to keep her eyes open. Pan saw this and ordered the lost boys out of the room, even Jake, ignoring the boy's vehement protests against such an order. Pan was the leader of the lost boys and in the end they would always obey. Besides, even Jake knew there was work to be done. The pirates had been slain and disposed of, but the fallen lost boys required more care and attention. It was time to dig the graves.

**A/N Thank you to everyone who's reading this story and even bigger thanks to my reviewers! I hope you're all continuing to enjoy it!**


	10. Chapter 10

Sarann was asleep before the lost boys had cleared the room, so she remained unaware that Jake was gone, even more so that Pan did not leave. Instead he lingered in the room, watching her intently. His thoughts were clearly in turmoil as shown by his restless state. For a while he sat hovering in the air, chin resting on his hand, staring at Sarann. After a while though his turbulent thoughts were too much for this immobility and he began pacing before eventually returning to watching her again. This went on for hours, Peter pacing and sitting alternatively but always in silence, his face betraying none of his thoughts other than a permanent frown upon his forehead. Eventually Stix came in and told Peter that the graves were dug and Pan reluctantly dragged himself away from the sleeping pirate.

The funeral was a simple affair, none of the pomp and ceremony Jake had seen at his uncle's funeral, the only other one he'd been to. There were no coffins, the bodies had simply been laid in the deep holes with their eyes closed and their hands crossed over their chests. When Pan arrived to oversee the proceedings, he spoke nothing of religion or beliefs, only of what he knew, or what he thought he knew. As he went down the sad line of small graves, stopping at each one and praising the boy who lay in it, the hearts of those still living grew dark with grief. Their grief was small, minimised by the sheltering magic of Neverland, but to boys who lived in eternal joy it was a hard grief to bear. For this reason Pan kept the funeral short and ended on a note designed to bring the boys back to their normal adventurous state.

"And so goodbye to you my lost boys who have gone on to that great and final adventure. But for us left behind, we must not be sad that they're dead, but be happy for them and wait for our turn! For to die will be one awfully big adventure."

The words drew a cheer from the assembled boys and they went to the task of filling in the graves with fervour, all dreaming of the glory and excitement of death, none ever even touching on the true sadness and tragedy of the passing of those so young.

Peter did not stay to watch the filling of the graves, instead he went back to watch Sarann sleep. It was not clear whether it was the sombreness of the funeral or something stronger but when he re-entered the room, his emotions were much deeper than they had been before. This time he no longer hovered above her but knelt by the side of her bed, his face no longer frowning in confusion but smooth with an emotion he could not name. Jake could have named it had he been there, he still remembered enough of his own life to recognise love, although he'd never experienced the romantic kind that Peter was now feeling.

Hook had not been the only one to watch over Sarann before she was brought here, in fact it was Peter who had first discovered her. Many a night had he sat at Jake's window watching Sarann tell him stories, enjoying them all but truly revelling in the ones about him and his heroic deeds. But this was not the Pan that had taken Wendy away to be his mother and his feelings for Sarann were not that of a boy. He had grown up in the years since he had begun visiting the world from which they all originated. He had the body of a seventeen year old and although his mind often wavered between ages, he had the capacity for the feelings of that physical body. He had been fascinated by Sarann since the moment he first saw her and that fascination had soon grown into deeper feelings. The more he watched her, the more intense those feelings grew, the more he had to watch her. It was an ever-deepening circle and had led him into a distraction that all in Neverland noticed.

Even Hook. It hadn't take long for Hook to notice all the time Pan was spending away from Neverland and so great was Pan's distraction that he hadn't noticed when he'd been followed. For Hook, the fascination with Sarann had been just as great and he'd begun planning much earlier than Pan to bring her to Neverland, which was why it was him and not Pan who had eventually done so.

Peter had been furious when he'd discovered what had happened. Turning up at Jake's window to find police all over the building and words about 'mysterious disappearances' he knew magic was at work. Only hours later Jake had been delivered to the mainland and had told Peter what had occurred, although his excitement at meeting the 'amazing Pan' had lengthened the time it took to tell the story considerably. At first Peter was all for attacking the pirate ship and taking Sarann by force, but a few scouting missions showed how well she was settling in and how closely she was guarded, though she was unaware of it herself.

So Peter had bided his time, waiting for an opportunity to snatch her from Hook's grasp. Of course, once back in Neverland, his childish behaviour took over and he was soon lost to games with the lost boys and training Jake. Being unable to watch Sarann as he used to, he began to forget and his feelings for her faded. They had been rekindled though when the first reports came in that pirates were scouting near the entrance to the lost boys' home and the first sight of her, sleeping soundly not meters from him, had fanned the feelings to a roaring blaze. Seeing her now, asleep once again, her brow smooth as exhaustion cleared her thoughts, his feelings were stronger than ever. But she was a pirate, an enemy. He had doubts as to whether she could be brought back, so long had she been among the pirates, and unless he could bring her back she was lost to him. So how to bring her back.

He began thinking about how her denial of the truth of her origins had sparked the beginning of a memory, and wondered how he could use this again. Then he pondered how the sight of Jake's face and the touch of his hand on her arm had brought that memory into focus and decided Jake was probably the key, but how to fully utilise him? For a while his thoughts went round and round but he found himself repeatedly and increasingly distracted by the face of the girl before him. In sleep, gone was the roughness of her pirate life, all that remained was the beautiful girl that she truly was and Pan found himself more and more drawn to her. Time and time again he'd wrench his thoughts back to the task at hand before they'd inevitable slip back to her; her imagination, her strength, her love for her brother, her beauty, her lips... just how much he wanted to kiss them. In the end the answer could not be more obvious. How could he bring her back? A kiss. Such a powerful thing. Such a strong link to love, an emotion she could only have felt back in her own life.

That was all the convincing he needed. Closing his eyes, Pan leant over the sleeping girl and gave her a kiss. But this was no thimble, nor was it the chaste kiss of a child. This kiss was full of passion and even in her exhausted stupor, Sarann couldn't fail to respond. Her lack of any love, passion or tenderness in her time on Neverland came to the fore and she was kissing Pan back before she'd fully reached consciousness. It was only as Pan put his arm under her neck and wrenched her closer to him that Sarann realised what was occurring. With an angry yell she drew back from the kiss and threw Peter away from her, disgusted with herself for her actions. Seventeen he may now be, but he was still so much younger than herself, and still such a boy at heart.

Pan's fury at this denial almost matched Sarann's at his taking advantage of her weakened state, but whereas he instantly had his sword in his hand, Sarann was weaponless and too weak to do anything even if she were armed. Nevertheless, her anger was an almost palpable force in the room and Pan felt the first stirrings of fear as she glared at him. They remained immobile for quite a while, Pan floating, sword in hand, stance defensive. Sarann, sat on her bed, hands clenching the bedcovers beside her in an attempt to stop herself launching herself at Pan, sword or no sword. It was unclear how the encounter would have ended if they were not eventually interrupted by Stix informing Peter than all the graves had been filled in. Pan acknowledged him with a nod and told him to leave and make sure no one else entered the room until he called for them. Not once did he turn to look at the boy, he never took his eyes off Sarann.

Sarann's reaction to the boys news was more profound. She knew they would not have given the pirates proper graves, they would have simply tossed the bodies into a pit or into the sea, therefore the talk of graves had to be those of the lost boys that she and the other pirates had slain. She felt a slight grief for her fallen comrades but her feelings for the dead boys went much deeper. Pan saw the emotions clear on her face but did not lower his sword. He didn't trust her enough to know this wasn't just another of her pirate tricks.

Silence reigned once again as Sarann tried to come to terms with what she'd done. She'd murdered a child, she'd murdered more than one. She felt guilt over her actions and sorrow over their deaths, and yet... She knew that in her old world these crimes would be viewed as heinous, in her old life she would have been horrified had she seen a minor murdered and she herself could no more kill a child than she could have killed her own brother. Here in Neverland however, she'd killed them willingly. Caught up in the fever of the fight, she'd slaughtered wherever the opportunity had arisen and she'd taken pleasure in it. It wasn't just the excitement of the fight though, it was the whole adventure of being a pirate. The raids on the Indians, the raid on her old world, walking away from the killing of the policemen and now this. Looking back there was no definite point at which she'd lost all the morals she had once held so dear. The magic of Neverland had leached into her veins a drop at a time and turned her into a vile, child-murdering pirate. Even now, the horror she felt at her own actions was not complete. That magic still held too much sway. She could never be truly herself until she was out from under its influence and yet the grief and guilt she knew she would feel upon the release of its hold upon her were a deterrent against escape. How could she face the true knowledge of what she'd done?

Neverland had stripped her of her memory and morals and Hook had taught her how to be a pirate. And she was a pirate, flaws though she may have, she was a pirate through and through. It was this that allowed her to hold back the flood of despair at the murders, but it was also this that would allow her to do the same again, and that was unthinkable. It was the fear of her future actions that had the power to bring her back from that fearful existence. Bring her back... Her head shot up to where Peter floated once more. Since waking she had viewed him and his lost boys as her enemy. Her entire spirit was repulsed by her defeat and capture, but the single memory of her brother had begun to rupture the hold that the magic of the land had over her and she was starting to see the help Peter could give her. First though, there was something she had to say, whilst she still had the presence of mind to say it.

"I'm sorry Peter." She began hesitantly, not sure at all how this conversation was going to go. "I'm sorry about the lost boys and my part in their deaths."

"You're a pirate." He replied, serious for once and confused by her apology. "That's what pirates do. It's all part of the game. Neverland changes you, helps you play your part better."

His words only added to the turmoil in Sarann's head. Where was his grief at his comrades' deaths? His anger at their murder? Had Neverland taken all feeling out of him?

"But they were just children." She replied, quietly.

"Death is the greatest adventure of all." His well-worn catchphrase only served to infuriate Sarann.

"How can you say that? Death is no adventure, death is the end of all adventures, it's the end of everything!"

Pan's answer was only to stare at her, his face frowning in confusion. This was not Sarann's world, she did not understand the way it worked, the way the land infused every fibre of your being, changing a person to allow them to fulfil their potential in the role they'd been cast. A pirate needed no morals so they were done away with. A lost boy had no need for grief so it was a pale imitation and short lived. Life became a game and death only the next stage. This was not a land of fairy tales and happy endings. It was brutal and unrelenting and Sarann, torn from the influence of its magic by the harsh transition between the world of the pirates and that of the lost boys could see it finally for what it truly was. The vision was one of horror and violence and she wanted no more of it. In that moment she realised the truth: though only a child and pretending to be good, Peter Pan was no better than Hook. Whether grown men or little boys, they were still murderous rogues and she was no better off here than she had been on the Jolly Roger. Suddenly Sarann wanted to get as far away from this brutal land as possible.

Her instinct was to run, fast, now, get out! But then what? She was still weak and tired from the fight, she was severely outnumbered and even if she managed to get out of the hideaway, she was still stuck on Neverland. The chances of her managing to escape the lost boys long enough to find a fairy and steal enough fairy dust to get her off the island were minute and then she had no real idea of how to get back home. On top of that there was Jake. Would he want to leave? Something told her he would not, he was still too much under the influence of Neverland's magic, too immersed in the adventure. There was no escape, not now at least. She would bide her time. Looking up into the eyes of a boy she would always class as foe, though she no longer classed herself as pirate, Sarann vowed she would somehow get off this island, she would go home, and she would be taking Jake with her.

All this time Pan had watched her in silence, attempting to analyse the multitude of emotions flitting across her face, but unable to do so. He'd seen the flash of anger in her eyes at the last but it had been overpowered by surrender and so he relaxed his stance. Right now, Sarann was not a threat.

"What is it you want from me?" Sarann's words were quiet and calm.

"To be mother to the lost boys, just as all the girls I've brought here were." All sobriety was gone from him now, his arrogant grin returned as he interpreted what he saw as victory.

"And to you?" Sarann hadn't missed what he'd left unsaid.

"I shall be father to them as always." He paused before saying what he never had before. "And you shall be my wife."

On the outside, Sarann's visage did not change, but inside she seethed. Hook had kidnapped her, Pan kept her captive. She'd gone from one prison to another but at least with Hook she'd had an illusion of freedom. And he had never asked of her what Pan was asking of her.

The silence stretched out between them, Pan unsure of what to say, Sarann refusing to say anything. In the end there was no solution to the stalemate. Pan called the lost boys back, announcing it was bed time, and then left to go to his own bed. Jake was the first to enter, running straight to Sarann's side and hugging her before bedding down on the floor beside her as she had unknowingly taken his bunk. Cautiously, the other boys got into their own beds with more than a little unease in their hearts. Jake's sister she may be, but she was still a pirate. Each boy vowed to remain awake and keep watch on the unbound prisoner, yet one by one by they were overtaken by the exertions of the day and soon the only sounds were the peaceful snores of happy children.


	11. Chapter 11

With the morning came hope. Sarann awoke refreshed and feeling much stronger than she had the previous day. Her skin had regained some colour but her injuries were as bad as ever.

She was the last one to wake. Sitting up, careful not to bang her head or re-open any wounds, she found all the lost boys at breakfast; some sitting around the tree stump table, some on their beds, others scattered around the floor. The natural cacophony of young boys at breakfast unsupervised soon lapsed into a tense quiet when they realised the pirate in their midst was awake. Only Jake's face held a grin at seeing her and he soon rushed over to hand her the empty bowl that held her breakfast. She knew this game, had described it to Jake numerous times, but it didn't stop her feeling childish when she had to pretend to eat. All embarrassment soon disappeared though as she tasted porridge and her hunger made its presence known. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten and healing was taking a lot of her energy.

There was no sign of Pan that morning, not during breakfast or the uneasy quiet that occurred afterwards. Without a leader to direct them none of the lost boys knew how to act around their prisoner. Jake was upset that they viewed his sister as such, he wanted them to love her as he did. And he knew just the way to make that happen.

"Tell them the story of Peter Pan and Hook and the flute."

Sarann looked down into the expectant face with confusion writ on her own. She did not know this story, she did not know any story. She had a single memory from her previous life of telling stories to Jake at bedtime, but of the stories themselves? Nothing. She could see the disappointment creep onto Jake's face at her silence. He'd expected Sarann's memory to come back immediately as his had, he didn't understand how she could still not remember everything, especially her amazing stories.

"You remember." He coaxed, hesitantly. "The one where Hook tries to lure Slightly off by playing a flute and Pan finds out and saves him by..."

And there it was, not one memory, but many. All of bed time, all of stories, a multitude of adventures stockpiled night after night and all available to her once more. Instantly, with no forethought, Sarann began her tale. As the story of Hook's plot to capture the music loving Slightly progressed Sarann got more and more involved, losing herself in the adventure of her old pirate captain. One by one the lost boys forgot their fear of their captive, moving closer to her as the story got more exciting and danger filled the air. It was only as Sarann neared the end where Pan triumphs over Hook that her excitement left her. To tell a tale of Hook's defeat was a betrayal to her pirate self and it stung. Her initiation into the lost boys would take a while but she took a deep breath and continued, determined to distance herself from the pirates while never integrating fully into the lost boys. She had to be free to escape and that meant no ties, no loyalties to any part of the island.

Her audience noted nothing but a pause for dramatic effect however, and by the end of that one story they were her faithful lost boys just as they were Pans. Jake felt pride in his big sister and happiness that she appeared to remember more of her old life. Not that he ever wanted to go back there, but he believed then that Sarann would be able be mother to them all if she remembered her old life and forgot her life with the pirates. Such was the simple mind of a child.

Once the story was over the lost boys began to introduce themselves to her and Sarann found herself lost in a sea of names. She remembered Stix, the boy who had told Peter that the graves were done. He was small for his eleven years, but he proudly announced that he was Peter's second in command despite his youth.

Jake was known as Sockz as explained earlier. Next came Carrot named, oddly, for his vigorous aversion to the vegetable, the youngest of the group but very talkative. Bob and Duck were two brothers of twelve and thirteen, known for their strange swimming habits of spending more time below the water than above. Toff was the eldest at fourteen. His name came from his habit of wearing the top hat John had left behind and effecting what he thought of as an upper class British accent but sounded to Sarann more like cockney.

The news of John's top hat had surprised Sarann, even after living in Neverland for a few months she found it had to believe parts of the classic Peter Pan tale. She soon discovered the truth though. Wendy, John and Michael had indeed come to Neverland. The original lost boys; Tootles, Nibs, Slightly and the rest had been the first boys to come here. They'd gone back to London with Wendy and her brothers but had been replaced over the years by other boys lost by their nannies or parents over the years. Since Wendy there had been other 'mothers', girls brought by Pan to care for and entertain the lost boys. It occurred to Sarann that it was only ever the girls that found the desire to go home. Neverland was a home and playground for boys, but the girls never felt truly comfortable here for long. Each time a 'mother' had been brought, within months they'd left again, usually taking a lost boy or two with them after stories of what a true mother is like had kindled a desire for a real family in their heart.

These boys were always replaced though, boys were constantly getting themselves lost, so Pan was never alone. But the older he grew, the lonelier he got. At seventeen his desire for more than a 'mother' had caused his infatuation with Sarann and she knew there could be trouble brewing, but this was not the time for those thoughts.

The rest of the lost boys passed by in a blur and Sarann knew she'd never remember all of their names. There were fourteen in total after the losses of the latest battle with the pirates. Despite their disadvantage, Sarann and the pirates had managed to kill six lost boys but she would not think of that, not now. Ten of the remaining boys slept in the room she currently occupied, four stayed in an adjoining room.

"How many rooms are there?" Sarann asked, beginning to be overwhelmed by the information coming her way.

Instantly every boy was on his feet. Four of them, including Jake, had attached themselves to her arms and were trying to propel her out of the door. No orders had been given by Pan to keep her where she was and the boys' pride in their home would have probably forced all such orders out of their heads even if there had been. As it was, each boy was eager to show off any area of the hideaway they'd have any part in building, decorating, altering or even destroying. And there were a lot of them. The door from the bedroom led into another bedroom, almost identical with the tree bunks in the walls and the stump table in the centre, but this one was smaller. Toff was eager to point out that he'd been the one to cut down the trees for the tables, Bob and Duck were proud of their carving skills and showed off the various plates and bowls they'd made. Stix pointed out the rudimentary hanging baskets he'd made out of sticks that held the boys' clothes.

From there Sarann was led out of the second bedroom into a much larger underground room filled with toys, weapons, basic furniture, plants and a whole manner of other assorted items, all strewn around in no order leaving a chaos that could only have been made by children. This was introduced as the 'battle room' and was used for any general purpose they could think of. The kitchen was beyond the battle room with a hole in one corner for the smoke from cooking food could escape. Sarann marvelled at the ingenuity but assumed it was more a result of trial and error rather than clever planning. To the left of the kitchen was a small tunnel that led to Pan's private chamber and to the right a larger tunnel that Jake informed her led out into the forest.

All in all it was an impressive hideaway, obviously the result of years of work and Sarann was suitably impressed. Unfortunately she was also exhausted. It had been a long morning and she was still suffering from her injuries and bloodloss. A simple lunch was immediately followed by a long nap to recover her strength. When she awoke the afternoon continued as the morning had; with stories. Mock battles followed training disguised as play, but this Sarann did not join in. Not only because she was not physically up to it but also because she vowed to herself she would be involved in no more fighting. She was through with that, the violence of this world was not a part of her and she would take no part in it. Jake did though, Sarann could not stop him. Pan had returned at some point while Sarann slept. He'd slept late after laying awake most of the night thinking about what to do with his new prisoner but had taken command as soon as he was awake.

With the boys he was a playful leader, but with Sarann his attitude was erratic. Friendly one minute, cold the next. Sometimes distant, sometimes his words were laced with a meaning Sarann did her best to ignore. He was a boy infatuated and she was a woman who wanted nothing to do with him. This would not end well.


	12. Chapter 12

"Dammit Jake I'm awake!" Sarann said, dragging herself out of bed as she did so.

The pirate's casual cursing was a habit she had not been able to kick, not even after almost a month in the lost boys hideaway, and being woken by Jake firing cloudberries at her did not leave her in the best of moods.

The usual giggling from the lost boys followed her outburst and Sarann sat down at the table, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and sighing. She was not cut out for living with the lost boys. The early mornings left her tired and irritable whereas with the pirates they'd left her invigorated. She'd loved her work on the Jolly Roger, but in the hideaway her chores were more comparable to that of a housewife and mother and as much as she loved Jake she was not cut out for the work of mother to fourteen. She longed for the physical element of her work with the pirates, especially now she was fully healed. She found herself intensely missing the feel of the sun on her face, the wind in her hair. She hated being underground, hated the constant candles and lanterns, hated the cooking, the cleaning, the whining of unruly children, the fumbling attempts at romance from Pan. Day after day her mood deteriorated and though she racked her brains, not even a whiff of a plan for escape came to her. She was stuck, trapped underground in a life she was simply not cut out for. The magic of Neverland had turned her into a pirate and her transition into a lost girl was not going well.

Pan appeared halfway through breakfast with a self-congratulatory grin on his face. Sarann groaned internally; that smile was never a good sign for her.

"Boys, today we're going to visit the Indians!"

For a second, Sarann's heart jumped with excitement. To her, Indians meant a raid for food and supplies. It meant excitement, danger and best of all, a feast to follow! But reality soon dawned on her. She wasn't with the pirates, this was not a raid, this was a friendly visit. A friendly visit to the people she'd been stealing from for months. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach and anger once again at the situation she was in, a situation she more and more fervently wanted out of as the days passed.

The lost boys though had no such feelings, to them this was an adventure. There would be games on the journey, a feast when they arrived, smoking around the camp fire in the evening. These visits were a reward from the Indians for the work they did in keeping the pirates away, as ineffective as that work may be. Sarann had noticed that the entire group was not often together in the hideaway. Just as Hook sent pirates out on raiding missions, so Pan sent his lost boys out on scouting missions. There were times when Sarann had been on the ship when the raiding parties had come back unsuccessful after they'd encountered the lost boys and a battle had ensued. Deaths had rarely occurred from these frays, they were merely friendly battles; the pirates wanting to steal food, the lost boys protecting it. It was only in fights where one party was specifically bent on attacking the other that it was to the death. Pan was rather sporadic with his 'protection' parties though, he sent them out on random nights, sometimes a large group, sometimes small, often none at all, which was why most raids by the pirates were successful. Pan was fulfilling his agreement though, he did stop some raids and the threat of hidden lost boys stopped the pirates committing violence towards the Indians, so the Indians kept their part of the bargain and rewarded Pan and his boys with food and invites to feasts. All in all, everyone was happy.

Except Sarann that is. She began to hope Peter would decide to leave her behind with a guard, but he was not about to have any of his lost boys miss out on the feast and Sarann had been there almost a month, Pan's childlike brain could not conceive of that length of duplicity. He trusted her now, more than he should, so Sarann was invited and she could only pray the Indian's would not know of or remember her involvement in the raids.

For a while there was chaos as the boys ran around in every direction, yelling in excitement, donning their 'adventure clothes', and generally giving her a headache. Thankfully, as 'mother', she was given a certain amount of control. Rising from her chair she moved to the door and grabbed the back of Toff's t-shirt as he ran into the other bedroom. When he turned in confusion she pointed silently at the table and he slowly walked to it and sat back down to his breakfast, sulking the whole time. Seeing Toff's actions and then glancing at Sarann's face the lost boys knew the visit would have to wait, 'mother' demanded they eat a good breakfast and eat a good breakfast they must.

Pan smiled at Sarann's control of the situation but his smile only made Sarann frown all the more. She was not cut out for this. She wanted to draw a sword not pour them milk. Pan saw her frown but took no notice, she was obeying him and there was a trip to the Indians on the cards, his boyish heart was content for now.

The second breakfast was done chaos reigned once again until Peter shouted the order to line up and within moments all the boys had formed an orderly line. With a single shout of "Fall out!" Pan flew out of the room and the line of boys began marching out after him. Sarann followed them leisurely down the long tunnel to the exit, her face composed but her mind reeling. She was leaving the hideaway. From the time she was well enough to attempt escape there had been no opportunity to do so. At first she had been guarded, then it was simply Pan's watchfulness or Jake's innocence that prevented her. Jake was the main problem, how to convince him to leave? Sarann knew there was no way she could leave him behind, but Jake loved his life here and persuading him to leave would be impossible. The only solution Sarann could think of would be to physically force him away but there was no way to do that quietly, any attempt to do so would cause the rest of the lost boys to rise up against her. She hoped to find a way to lure him away from the line during the journey to the Indians but he stayed at the front of the line near Pan and she found no opportunity to talk to him through the constant games of following the leader, pretending to be Indians and anything else the boys could think of to entertain themselves on the journey. The tunnel to the hideaway came out amidst a large pile of rocks and when Sarann emerged she realised just how close it was to the pirates final camp. Although extremely well hidden within the rocks, Peter was no doubt right that they would have discovered it very soon had the lost boys not attacked. Angry at herself for letting her guard down that night, Sarann tried to push the feelings away and focus on the task at hand: getting Jake away from the line.

Jake, however, was having the time of his life. He'd refused to leave Sarann the whole time she'd been in the hideaway so this was the first time he'd been outside as well. In addition, this was only the third Indian visit he'd been on and his excitement was almost too much to contain. Not only that, but he'd managed to get near the head of the line and so was near Peter who he worshipped as a hero.

For Sarann, despite the obvious lack of means of escape and the constant noise of the boys in front of her, the walk was a pleasant one. She realised at that point just how much she'd missed the feel of the sun on her face. She had begun to associate life with the lost boys with the darkness and damp of underground, to be outside in the sun gave her a feeling of a return to her previous life as a pirate and it filled her with joy. As the boys played follow the leader, running in and out of trees, hiding behind rocks, playing at being Indians and generally making a lot of noise, Sarann raised her face to the heat of the sun, held out her arms and revelled in the simple joy of being above ground after almost a month beneath it.

Constant games meant the journey to the Indians took twice as long as it should have, but no one was complaining. The boys were having fun and Sarann knew the longer it took, the longer she would be outside. She could feel her cares and worries, the anger and despair of the past few weeks fall away from her with every step. If Peter would just let them live above ground, Sarann could imagine herself to be almost happy with her lot.

They reached the Indian's camp just before noon and were met by the great chief himself and received the traditional 'How' greeting, which they returned with great vigour. Even Sarann. She had a smile on her face and found herself falling into the spirit of the game.

The boys were all famished after their long walk so lunch was served immediately. The main feast would occur at night so lunch was a much simpler affair of buffalo stew and cornbread. It was still very tasty and filling so no complaints were made. Once lunch was over the Indians and the boys all gathered in a circle to hear the great Indian tales from the chief. Although not lost in the stories like the boys were, Sarann was content to sit and listen, happy to be out in the open and not doing any chores. For a while at least.

"Squah! Get'm firewood."

The words broke through Sarann's pleasant drifting state and caused her to grit her teeth together. Here was pirate who had raided these Indian's countless times, taken their food and anything else she wanted, and now a shrivelled up old woman wanted her to fetch firewood? And called her a squah no less!

Without thinking, Sarann was on her feet, facing the offending Indian and reaching for her sword. Which wasn't there. Pan may have let her out of the hideaway but he hadn't armed her, he wasn't completely stupid. Grinding her teeth with impotent rage, Sarann glared at the woman in front of her. The woman was more than a little overweight and her dress was as all the cartoons depicted it: drab, multiple shades of brown, tassels. This one was more modest than some of the younger women's, but was also a lot less flattering, making the woman look like she was wearing a lumpy flour sack. Her face was the characteristic red children associated with Indians and her frown matched Sarann's, clearly this was not a woman used to being disobeyed. The two women stood silent, at loggerheads over the firewood that would be needed for the fires later on at night.

After only a few minutes the Indian repeated her command, this time pointing in the direction of the forest and handing Sarann an axe. In a flash Sarann took hold of the axe, stuck it in the loop on her belt meant for her sword, mockingly doffed an imaginary hat, turned on her heel and sat back down in the circle.

The woman behind her was now boiling with rage, infuriated by the pale-faced insolence she was being faced with. It was unclear what she would have done then had the chief not finished his tale at that precise moment. Immediately every Indian was on his or her feet, whooping in true Indian style and dancing around in a circle. The lost boys joined in within seconds and Jake grabbed his sister's hand, forcing her to her feet and urging her to follow.

"When in Rome..."

Sarann thought, and joined in the dancing with gusto. For the first time in weeks she felt a true smile grace her face as happiness filled her heart. She lost herself in the sound of the drums and the cries all around her, moving to the music, using the dance to exorcise all her pent up energy, hatred and anger. It was therapeutic, but more than that, it was fun. Many a time she felt Jake grab her hand and they'd dance together as they had many a time in the past, at other times it would be one of the other lost boys, sometimes she'd find herself immersed in a group of Indians, dancing along like she was one of them. She wasn't though, and a part of her was always aware of that, but in that circle, with those drums, lost in the dance, she could forget that for a while and just enjoy the pure wonder of it.

By the time Sarann collapsed in an exhausted heap, Jake immediately doing the same next to her, darkness had fallen. There were only a few dancers left on their feet and they too were soon completely out of energy. The female Indians had left the dance much earlier, concentrating on preparing the feast that was now presented to them, a meal which Sarann should have been helping with but scorned the women for being so subservient. After all the dancing everyone was famished and as soon as the plates appeared they were set upon by multiple hands, yet there was plenty to go around. More cornbread and buffalo stew but also hoecakes and succotash, a dish of lime beans, tomatoes and corn. Along with pemmican, made of dried pulverized meat, dried berries and rendered fat, were mashed, cooked berries, salted salmon, potatoes and a whole host of other foods along with fruit beer and corn whiskey which Sarann point blank refused to let Jake taste, instead drinking his share herself, savouring the taste of alcohol once more.

By the time the meal was done Sarann was almost drunk and another run in with the old Indian woman would have ended badly had she not seen the wild look of a pirate in the young woman's eyes. As it was, when she saw Sarann's hand moving towards the axe, the old woman turned and walked away, muttering things under her breath that Sarann didn't hear nor had any interest in.

After that the evening continued pleasantly. A pipe was passed around the circle and once again Sarann forbid her brother to participate, despite knowing he had done the previous two visits when she hadn't been present, but pirate or not she was not allowing her 5 year old brother to smoke, peace pipe or no. In that regards, she could understand Wendy's behaviour on her visit here. Speaking of Wendy's visit...

The drums that had been playing throughout dinner suddenly took on a quieter, slower beat and a few other instruments that Sarann could not name took up a tune. For the first time the women of the Indian tribe took centre stage, the younger ones at least, as they began a dance within the circle. From Sarann's point of view this was not a dance suitable for the eyes of the young boys in her charge, but for the most they didn't understand the meaning of the moves the women in front of them were performing. All except Peter that is. Sarann didn't know how ageing worked in the Piccaninny tribe on Neverland, but clearly Tiger Lily had made some decision to age as Pan had. It was no pretty adolescent that took centre stage in front of the guest of honour, but a seventeen year old beauty.

In the Indian princess's dance, Sarann saw her way out of Pan's affections. After all, with a beauty like that dancing only for him, what could he possibly want with her? But Pan's heart didn't work like that, as with most men he wanted what he wanted, reason be damned. Even as Sarann watched him watching Tiger Lily, he turned his head to look at her. There was a longing in his eyes that Sarann almost feared. She wasn't the only one that noticed though. Tiger Lily never missed a beat of her dance, but her eyes sought out the focus of Peter's gaze and there Sarann saw a hatred burning with jealousy. That was not good. The pirate violence churned within Sarann and she was on her feet immediately, matching Tiger Lily's gaze with her own, her fingers inching towards the axe at her side.

She did not see Pan's eyes go wide in horror that violence could be even so much as contemplated in the Indian's camp, all she saw was the smug smile on Tiger Lily's face as she saw the reaction she'd provoked. It was only the soft touch of Jake's hand on her arm that dragged Sarann back to reality. Looking down into his panic stricken face she realised how close she'd come to bloodshed once again. Instantly the axe was forgotten and Sarann reached down to take Jake's hand, pulling him to his feet and leading him away from the circle. She needed to get away from the provocation that was Tiger Lily, away from any temptation towards violence.

Almost instantly Peter was in front of her, barring her way. Confusion flashed through Sarann before she realised she'd been heading towards the forest, out of the Indian camp. For the first time, escape had not been on her mind, yet she'd almost achieved it inadvertently. Pan's guard wasn't down though, he didn't know her motives for leaving the circle, he only knew he couldn't let her out of his sight. Without a word Sarann spun on her heel and led Jake to the far side of the Indian camp, next to the cliff's edge. There was no escape here so she could remain unmolested by Peter but she was away from the circle, away from Tiger Lily, and maybe without Sarann there Peter could see what was being offered to him on a plate by the seductive young Indian.

Once away from the circle, Sarann's feelings immediately cooled and she sat down in the breeze coming from the sea. With a smile on her face she put her arm around her brother and just enjoyed the quiet companionship. One word shattered it though.

"Mother," Jake began.

Sarann looked at him in horror. The magic of Neverland was forever at work, even now Jake was beginning to forget his home again, completely immersed in the adventure of being a lost boy. For Sarann, various prompts from Jake had brought back more and more memories of her old life, but they were beginning to grow vague and indistinct, like a dream and nothing more. She held onto them with a fierce determination, yet even though Neverland seemed to be taking its time turning her from pirate into lost girl, its hold on her memories was growing stronger. She feared this, feared it desperately. Her one chance of salvation was in returning home, without her memories, she was lost.

"Jake, I'm not your mother." She said quickly, too quickly.

For a moment confusion crossed Jake's face, until a few old memories surfaced, enough to know this was his sister, not his mother.

"Sarann," He tried again. "Why did you go to the pirates?"

"I didn't Jake. They took me, I had no choice." Sarann answered quietly.

"Okay." He answered, remaining silent for a while before continuing. "Well, why did you stay with them, why didn't you come find me?"

There was real pain in his voice as he spoke. Looking down into her little brother's eyes, Sarann could almost see the feeling of abandonment in them, see how betrayed he'd felt by her absence. The fact that he'd forgotten her almost instantly didn't truly register with him, all he knew is that once he had remembered her, he'd felt hurt that she hadn't found him earlier. Sarann knew her answer wasn't going to make him feel much better.

"I forgot Jake. Neverland is magic and that magic changes people, it changed me into a pirate. Neverland makes you forget, just like it made you forget that I'm your sister just then, it made me forget I had a brother. This is why we have to leave Jake, before it makes us forget Mum and Dad altogether."

At the mention of leaving Jake sat bolt upright and pulled away from her.

"Leave? Why do you want to leave?"

His voice had risen in volume and Sarann rushed to quieten him down, not wanting to catch Pan's attention.

"Don't you want to see Mum and Dad? Don't you want their hugs and kisses? Don't you miss them Jake?"

Once again, confusion bloomed on Jake's face. He hadn't thought about it, hadn't thought much about their parents at all. The adventure of Neverland consumed him, he hadn't much time to stop and miss his old life, there was too much fun going on here. Looking into his sister's face though, a memory flickered into full reality. A memory of his father carrying him around on his shoulders, his childish shrieks of delight at the game. And then another, of his mother tucking him into bed on one of his good days, of her sweet kiss goodnight and the smile on her face. He did miss them, and yet... No, no he didn't want to go back, not yet, there were too many adventures to be had here, but he would go back, soon, just not yet.

Sarann saw all these feelings flit across his face and knew that when the time came, she would have to take him by force. The magic of Neverland was too strong in him, he would never voluntarily leave. With a melancholy smile Sarann pulled him back towards him and hugged him close. Well at least she had him. For now, that was enough.

At that point, the dancing within the circle ended, and so too did the visit. Taking Jake's hand, Sarann led him back to the other lost boys and together they followed them out of the Indian camp, back towards home. As Sarann passed what was left of the circle, she had to pass by Tiger Lily too, and the look of hatred in her eyes made Sarann shudder. She would not be coming back here, it wasn't safe.

**A/N Thank you as always for reading and reviewing! It certainly keeps me motivated!**


	13. Chapter 13

The walk back to the hideaway was a quiet one. The boys were, to a one, wiped out and eager for their beds. No games were played, no songs were sung and the route taken was the straightest. As such, the journey back was much quicker.

When they reached the hideaway the boys began to file into the tunnel. Sarann and Jake were at the end of the line and Sarann let her brother go in first. As she went to enter the tunnel though, Peter, who had waited back for all the others to enter first, placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Sarann looked up at him in confusion and annoyance; she was too tired for another of his games.

"Mothers do not sleep in the nursery." Was his unenlightening response.

Refusing to be drawn into conversation with the boy Sarann couldn't truly figure out, she remained quiet, waiting for him to explain.

"Mothers have their own room, it's time you moved out of the hideaway."

Now that was not what she'd been expecting. Move out of the boy's room? Maybe. Move into Pan's room? If she was honest with herself, that is what Sarann had feared he was going to suggest, and not hearing it was a relief. But move out of the hideaway? That she could not have predicted.

"We built Wendy a house when she was here and we've done that for most of the other mothers, but once we moved here the houses were too conspicuous. So we've built you a tree-house, it's smaller than maybe you'd like, but it's hidden so it's less dangerous."

For a while Sarann did not know what to say. Gone was Peter's boyish arrogance, the boy... no, not boy, not right then. Whatever he was, he was polite and kind in that moment. Many a day he'd sat and listened to her tell stories, he'd seen the longing in her eyes when she spoke of the sunshine, told of running through fields, swimming in the sea. She missed the world above ground, they all did. The hideaway was the safest place for them but there were times when even Peter hated living underground. For the most part he used to train his boys and play games with them above ground but having a captive had put them all under strain, not only to keep her from escaping but to stop them all being discovered by the pirates on the lookout for their lost crew mate. Now though, the pirates had stopped their search parties over a week ago and Pan couldn't imagine the magic of Neverland taking this long to influence someone. Despite his reaction to Sarann's trying to leave the Indian camp earlier, it was mostly just habit, he had no real fear of her trying to escape now. In addition, Jake would remain in the hideaway with the rest of the boys, Sarann would never leave without him.

So Peter felt safe in giving Sarann her own house above ground. The longer she spent in the hideaway, the more surly she'd become. He hoped spending more time in the sun and fresh air would put her in a better mood.

Eventually, after recovering from the shock of Pan's offer, Sarann thanked him for the gift her was giving her. With a mock bow, Pan's younger personality reappeared and he was soon leading her into the forest towards her new home. The tree-house wasn't very far away, less than a hundred feet from the entrance to the hideaway, but Pan was right, it was definitely hidden. And high too. The way up to it was made of carefully disguised hand holds in the incredibly wide trunk of the tree itself for about twenty feet up. After that was a ten foot rope ladder made of thick vines that blended in perfectly with the trees. This ladder could be raised and hidden in the tree-house when Sarann was there to prevent anyone getting up without her permission as enough branches had been removed above this point to stop anyone climbing the tree without the help of said ladder. On top of this, the foliage was thick enough to prevent anyone from the ground seeing the tree house. Once Sarann crawled through the hole in the platform to the tree house itself, she was stunned by what she saw.

It was bigger than she had expected, almost ten feet both length and width, and she could easily stand up in it. In the far corner was a low bed carved from wood, no doubt the combined efforts of Toff, Bob and Duck, with a thin mattress, the same as all the boys had in the hideaway and a thin coverlet on top. The weather in Neverland was nothing if not comfortable, provided Pan remained in a good mood which was most of the time, so the thin blanket was all that was needed. To her left were a number of low, hollowed out tree trunks that served as chairs, from their number Sarann assumed the boys would be visiting her here. Glancing to her right, Sarann saw another tree trunk chair before a rudimentary table on which were the few books the lost boys owned, some of the keepsakes they'd brought with them when they'd first arrived in Neverland. Now they had Sarann, the boys had no need of books, but they knew how much she liked them and so they were a gift to her, just as the tree house was and all its contents.

Gazing around in amazement, Sarann managed to gather her wits enough to properly thank Pan. This house meant privacy, fresh air and sunshine, no early morning awakenings from hyper lost boys, and more than anything, a sense of freedom, false though it may be. Pan grinned back at her, proud of the tree house. He failed to mention that although he'd come up with the idea for it, it was the lost boys that had done all of the work. Sarann had already noticed this but Pan remained unaware of her insight, he preferred to take all the credit for himself, hoping to get something out of it.

As Sarann turned around once more to gaze at her new home, Pan hastily pulled up the ladder and lay it on the platform before carefully resting his hand on her shoulder. Instantly her entire body was tense. She should have known this was too good to be true, he wouldn't give her something like this and not expect anything in return. At that thought, anger shot through Sarann's body, almost physical in its heat. Turning around with fire in her eyes, Sarann placed her hands against Pan's chest and physically thrust him off the tree house platform. He flew, as she'd known he would, hovering in the air and glaring back at her, but Sarann would not be cowed.

"If that's the price of your 'gift'," There was a sneer in her voice at the word. "then you can take it back."

"I didn't ask for anything." Pan shot back.

"Your voice was silent but your hand said it all."

For a few seconds she got no response to her accusations as Pan floundered at being caught out in his motives. He'd known that had he invited her to join him in his own room she'd have refused on principle, but he'd thought that providing her with her own house would make her grateful enough to stop fighting him. He had thought she refused him only on moral grounds before but now he was not so sure. He'd been a gentleman, he'd left it long enough, so why still no? A flicker of doubt began to cross his mind, a fleeting worry that maybe, just maybe, Sarann truly had no interest in him. The thought was gone as quickly as it had appeared, his inborn arrogance overriding any self-doubt. No, that was not the reason, so what? The second he thought it, Pan voiced his suspicions, giving himself no time to think it through.

"Hook."

"What?" Sarann asked, thoroughly confused by his response.

"It's Hook isn't it?"

"What's Hook?" She asked, no clearer to what was going through his mind.

"That's why you won't let me kiss you, you like him don't you?"

For a second Sarann struggled to grasp what he'd said and then it clicked into place. He was jealous. Of Hook. Of the feelings he imagined Sarann had for Hook. For a second she was tempted to laugh out loud, but this wasn't funny. Instead she groaned in frustration.

"It's not Hook, I don't like Hook." She saw hope light up in his eyes before hurrying to continue. "But I don't like you either. Don't you see? Mentally, physically, whatever, you're still too young for me."

She felt like an idiot, having this conversation with someone who was essentially a child. How to do it without sounding condescending? Well there was no way. She'd known this would happen eventually, but that didn't mean she was prepared for it.

"Peter, I did not come to Neverland by choice, but even if I had, I would not have come to find love. I have no feelings for anyone one this island except my love for my little brother. You're wasting your time with me."

"But..." Pan tried to interrupt.

"No buts! There's nothing between us, there never has been and there never will be."

For a second she thought he was going to argue back, but he didn't. Through his anger he thought her words over in his head and came up with the same misguided conclusion: she liked Hook. How that was better, he didn't know, but at least it gave him an enemy to fight. And fight he would. With a curt nod of his head, Pan flew off back to the hideaway, leaving Sarann by herself. It was time for bed, he needed sleep, for tomorrow, they were at war.

Saran watched as Pan flew away without a word, before letting out a frustrated sigh and throwing herself down on her bed. She was tired after a long day and annoyed at Pan's actions and wanted nothing more at that moment than to sleep. For a while though sleep eluded her. Angry thoughts swirled around her head, futile escape plans kept her awake long into the night until, eventually, the sounds around her began to penetrate her perturbed mind. Animals on the ground and in the trees, bats and night birds, a strange mix of animals that would never normally occur together, but the magic of Neverland made it seem natural to Sarann's taxed mind. Slowly she lost herself in the sounds of nature around her, the feel of a breeze through the windows playing on her face and she felt herself relax. Her thoughts of earlier came back to her at that moment; now she was living above ground, despite her problems with Pan, maybe she could truly be happy here with the lost boys.

The thought was barely fully formed before a sound that did not belong in the woods intruded on her.

"Sarann."

The whisper came from below and Sarann knew that voice. It belonged neither to a lost boy nor to Pan. It was a voice that had held something close to kindness on her first day upon the Jolly Roger and a voice she had conversed with many times since. Tobias. Sarann waited in silence a while longer, unsure of what to do in the situation she'd suddenly been thrust into. The call did not come again, but after a few seconds Sarann heard a scuffling down below and when the call did come again, it was much closer.

"Sarann."

What could she do? Her pirate self demanded she respond but her love for Jake compelled her to remain silent. She didn't have much choice in the end though.

"Sarann we know you're up there. Now either throw down the ladder or we'll cut the tree down with you in it."

Sarann knew that the acoustics of the lost boys hideaway stopped any noise from inside leaking out, likewise it kept out all noises from aboveground. Which meant the pirates could easily cut down the tree without alerting anyone to their presence. And Sarann had no desire to tumble out of a twenty foot tree. Without a word she threw down the ladder and waited for Tobias to climb up. She didn't have long to wait before she saw him heave himself onto the platform.

"Well now, why didn't ya just do that in the first place?" Was Tobias's question to her as soon as he was safely settled in the tree house.

"What are you doing here?"

Sarann knew from experience that Tobias wasn't the greatest thinking and she easily deflected his question with her own.

"Why we're here t' save you. Seems like you've had plenty o' chances to escape but ya aint taken any so we're here t' find out why an take ya back."

"You've been watching me?" Sarann asked, bewildered by the pirate's sudden appearance.

"Course. Took a while but we found ya eventually. See, when we turned up for the next day's raidin' party and ya weren't there, well we started lookin' around. Found clear marks o' fighting and death but no sign of any o' ya. Then we found the bodies o' the others but nothin' o' you so we figured they'd taken ya and the Cap'n wasn't happy wi' that."

Sarann could just imagine how Hook had reacted to that news. He'd taken her for a purpose, having her kidnapped by Pan had no doubt rather spoiled his plans. She didn't interrupt though, wanting to know what else Tobias had to say.

"We looked around a bit more but still couldn't find any sign o' you or the hideaway, so we hid in the trees and waited. Lil while later we hears sounds and snuck up on a whole bunch of lost boys diggin' graves. Well at least ya killed some o' them in the fight. I was for attackin' right then, but Carlos says no, cos you're not there and we won't find you if we do, so we watched and waited. Out comes Pan but no you, then he goes and they filled in those graves but still no you."

Sarann felt a lump grow in her throat at the thought of the boys that she'd killed, but it wouldn't do to show that kind of emotion in front of a pirate, so she kept quiet.

"So we follows the boys back t' their hideaway, so at least we knows where that is, and we figured ya were down there but no way we'd fit, so we had t' wait. There was a lot o' watching an' waiting an' swappin' shifts after that 'til you eventually came out. No ropes, no shackles, just walks on out and kept following' Pan. I wanted t' attack but there were four of us and more o' them so Carlos says wait again. A thought ya were lost when those boys started goin' back in that hole again but then Pan leads you here and flies off so we came t' get you."

There was almost pride in his voice at the end and Sarann knew why. No doubt Hook had been handing out punishments here, there and everywhere since her capture, just as the pirates who brought her back would be given more than a few rewards for doing so. Yet something in Tobias's face told her that a part of him was just happy to have her back. "More likely he's just looking forward to the extra rum portions when he gets back." Sarann told herself.

"So what now?" Sarann asked, still a little disorientated after all the twists and turns the day had taken.

"We take ya back o' course."

The tone of his voice told her what a stupid question she'd asked. Of course they were taking her back to the Jolly Roger, what else would they do? For a moment her heart jumped in excitement at the prospect and she eagerly followed Tobias down to the ground to greet the other three pirates that were waiting for her. It was only as they began to move out that reality struck. She couldn't leave now, any more than she could have escaped during the trip to the Indians. Jake was safely tucked up in bed in the hideaway and she wasn't leaving without him. Of course convincing the pirates of this was another matter.

"You want to bring a lost boy?" Tobias asked, confused.

"He's not a lost boy, he's my brother." Sarann argued back.

"Hook gave him to Pan, he does not want him on the ship." Carlos said.

Sarann never had liked Carlos, he'd never accepted her even when she was fully integrated into the pirate life, now he looked on her with the same hatred he'd show the lost boys.

"Well I'm not leaving without him." Sarann spat back through clenched teeth. "He's my brother and..."

That was as far as she got before Carlos had lifted her up and thrown her over his shoulder. A boiling fury shot through Sarann at his treatment of her and she was instantly fighting to be free, but to no avail. No words of rage, no blows to his head or back made any difference. He was a pirate, he was used to pillaging, Sarann could only be thankful she wasn't being led to the same fate that any other woman being carried in such a way by him would be.

After her initial energy was spent, Sarann simply let Carlos carry her on the long walk down to the shoreline. Once there, he dropped her unceremoniously into the boat they'd left there along with Bowes as a guard and they were soon on their way back to the Jolly Roger. "Back home." Sarann's heart told her. Neverland was not used to switching people within roles and it had not yet managed to turn her into a lost girl. Allowing her to return to being a pirate, however, was almost instantaneous. The transition had begun the second she was out of the tree house and in the company of pirates again and as soon she was back on board the Jolly Roger, it was complete. She lined up with the others for inspection by the captain automatically and felt a joy in her heart she hadn't felt in all the time she'd been away.

The ship was a bustle of activity. Sarann's return had caused immense excitement and all hurried about their work, eager to witness Hook's reaction upon seeing the female pirate once more. More than one grin was flashed Sarann's way as she stood upon the deck, waiting for the same thing they did. She felt the same smile grace her own face and longed to be back in her old pirate clothes. During her time with the lost boys, her clothes had been mangled beyond all recognition in an attempt to make them less pirate-like. Her many accessories had been taken away and any extra material had been removed and used as play things in one way or another by the lost boys. She hadn't mourned their loss at the time, but now Sarann was aware of how little like a pirate she looked and she could not wait to change back once more.

She didn't have long to wait. Only a few minutes had passed before Hook emerged from his quarters and made his way down to the deck. Every pirate ceased his activity at that point, waiting to see how Hook would react to Sarann's return. The captain walked towards where the returned raiding party stood in silence, stopping when he reached them and turning to face them. For a few moments he stood there quietly, just looking Sarann in the eye. It was at the moment that Sarann began to feel a little uneasy that Hook's face spread into a large grin and said,

"Well men, I'd say it was time to bring out the rum."

A loud cheer erupted at his statement and every man began running around again, pulling out their own hidden liquor as well as the main store which had been put off limits as a punishment until Sarann was returned. Hook then dismissed the raiding party to join in the revelry and Sarann gave her captain a salute before rushing off to her old quarters to change. Once there she closed the door behind her, leaned back upon it, and sighed with relief to be back. She hadn't forgotten Jake, hadn't forgotten her need to escape, but now she was back on the ship, she had a plan. More importantly at that moment, she had alcohol. Almost a month of enforced soberness and good behaviour had sent her almost insane and the thought of the night of revelry ahead put a grin on her face to match Hook's.

Heading to her private stash she was happy to find it all there, but in the spirit of the moment, she was more than willing to share. Not yet though. Quickly unscrewing the cap of a Jack Daniels bottle, she took a few good swigs, grimacing at the taste and yet enjoying the fiery warmth that spread down her throat and throughout her body. After that she wasted no time changing back into her usual pirate garb and after another few swigs of whiskey she was back out on deck with the rest of pirates, carrying her alcohol with her as everyone else was. As soon as she appeared on deck a loud cheer erupted and many a glass was raised her way. Her vanity wanted to attribute it to their liking of her but her pirate side knew it was more likely simply that she was the cause of this impromptu party. A glance around her showed Sarann that Hook had retired once again. He knew when to leave his men alone to celebrate after all the punishment he'd doled out in Sarann's absence, his talk with her could wait until the morning. Noting his absence, Sarann quickly sat down with a group she'd gotten drunk with after the raid on her home world and proceeded to hand out some of her alcohol before beginning the real drinking herself. She had no intention of getting as drunk as she had that earlier night, but she was certainly going to be past merry by the time she was finished celebrating her newly regained freedom.


	14. Chapter 14

It was near dawn when the revelry began to die down. Sarann had drunk swiftly at first, joining in the bawdy songs like a true pirate, imitating their dance, playing card games and generally living it up now that she was given the chance. Once she'd reached a true drunken state though she'd had the sense to stop drinking and by the time dawn rolled around she was much more under control. Her companions had not had the same sense though and as she was sobering up they were falling unconscious. Things came to a swift end when the pirate she was playing poker with accused her of cheating, his reasoning being that she was sober enough to actually see the cards, stood up and drew his sword to challenge her to a duel, only to lose his balance, fall backwards over an empty barrel and knock out himself in the process. A few lazy titters followed this act but most were too drunk to do much else. Sarann laughed heartily at the display but realised the fun was then done for the night. Draining the last of her whiskey, she picked up what was left of her alcohol and made her way to her room, stashing it with the rest of the non-perishable food that remained.

Just as she'd taken off her boots she heard a knock at the door and froze, there was only one person that could be. Opening the door, sure enough, there stood Captain Hook still dressed in his full regalia.

"I heard you enter your room and thought I'd best check you were in a fit state get yourself safely in bed."

"No worries there cap'n." Sarann replied, happy to hear she'd stopped slurring her words. "Mr Jack's lit a nice fire in my belly but he aint burned all the sense out of me yet."

"In that case I'll leave you to your rest." Hook said, smiling at her still drunken manner, and turned to leave.

"What that's it?" Sarann asked, cheekily. "Not even a good night kiss?"

When Hook turned to face her, the smile was gone. His desire for the woman in front of him had only increased with her absence and his jealous thoughts of what may have occurred between her and Pan. Seeing how quickly she'd assimilated back into the crew he'd thrown those jealous thoughts out but the desire still remained. And here she was, throwing herself at him. Again. He still had his plans for her, he would not ruin them for a mere drunken moment. Yet history repeated itself as Sarann leaned forward to kiss him. He responded automatically, grabbing her arms and pulling her closer, deepening the kiss, but he did not let it go as far this time. With immense self-control Hook thrust Sarann away from him and turned to go without another word.

Sarann on the other hand, wasn't done. She'd spent months on this island now, most of that in the company of lewd pirates and a captain she wasn't adverse to admitting was actually quite good looking. Then to spend the last month around children and an adolescent boy with a crush on her had only further pointed out the lack of adult contact in her life. She'd sworn she would never approach Hook again, but alcohol was more powerful than self-preservation at that point and Sarann snapped. She wanted this. She would not be denied again.

Reaching out she grabbed the lapels of Hook's coat before he could fully turn and dragged him inside her room. She slammed the door behind him before he could react and then forcefully kissed him. For a second Hook tried to back away but the second he felt Sarann's hand reach up inside his shirt and drag her nails down his chest, he was lost. This was passion, pure and simple, and it was a language he spoke well. Picking Sarann up, careful not to injure her with his hook, the captain carried her over to the bed. Looking down at her there, he hesitated. For a second both considered the consequences of their actions and knew not how to continue. Strengthening her resolve, Sarann reached up and dragged Hook down onto the bed with her, crushing him with a kiss once more. With that move, both were lost to the passions of the night.

x

Sarann awoke in the late afternoon with a hangover, just as she'd expected to when she'd started drinking, although thankfully it wasn't nearly as bad as her first one on the ship had been. What she hadn't expected was to wake up next to a naked captain. Her first instinct was to groan with embarrassment and regret, but the memories of the night, thankfully not blotted out by alcohol, soon overcame her and she couldn't help but smile. A mistake it may have been, but at least it had been fun.

Getting out of bed, careful not to wake Hook, she had a quick look around for water but the only drinks in the room were alcoholic and that certainly wasn't going to help. She grimaced at the prospect of having to get dressed and go out to find water, but her body demanded it. Sarann dressed silently and then tiptoed out of the cabin, heading down towards the kitchen. As she'd expected she stepped out onto a ghost ship, unconscious bodies littered the deck but nothing moved. She'd drunk less than anyone other than Hook and she knew the others wouldn't be awake for hours. As it turned out, she was wrong. As got nearer the kitchen the smell of frying eggs and bacon hit her nostrils. Her stomach alternated between nausea and hunger and she hurried inside to find out who was awake at this time. It didn't surprise her to find Tobias there, after all, who else would be cooking? He was surprised to see her though.

"Yer up." He said when he saw her.

"I'm up. I need water." Sarann said against the pounding of her head.

"An' food no doubt, here." Tobias answered, splitting the food between two plates before adding more to the frying pan.

For a second, Sarann thought guiltily about eating before the captain but then her stomach took over. Grabbing a tankard of water she drank a few mouthfuls, happy that she kept it down easily, before tucking into the breakfast.

"This is heaven." She said between mouthfuls. "Perfect hangover cure. So why are you up?"

"Hungry."

The look on his face told her that his hangover was worse than hers, despite his earlier start to the day. She also knew she wasn't going to get a more in depth explanation out of him, but she had a suspicion that Hook demanded his cook be on duty at all times. They ate their breakfasts in companionable silence, Tobias skilfully cooking the next round as he ate. Although not nearly out of the woods yet, the water and breakfast had done wonders for her hangover. Far too soon though, she knew it was time to get back and face the consequences of last night, as unpleasant as that may be.

Drinking the last of her water, Sarann filled her tankard up again, said goodbye to Tobias and went to leave.

"Here, take this." He said, dishing out another plate of breakfast for her.

"Thanks, I'm fine." She answered and turned to leave again.

"Yeah but the cap'n'll be hungry."

Sarann spun round in shock, but the look on Tobias's face told her nothing. She didn't know how he knew where Hook had spent the night, but he knew. And so would the rest of the crew. Sarann took the plate without another word and head back to her cabin, refusing to think about the fact she had just become ship gossip in a very bad way.

Somehow she wasn't surprised to find Hook awake and fully dressed, sitting on the edge of her bed and pulling on his boots.

"Breakfast." She stated succinctly, placing the food and water down on the table next to him and wishing she'd thought to bring a second tankard.

Hook did not so much as acknowledge that she'd spoken, he simply pulled on his other boot, stood up and began checking that his outfit was immaculate. Only when he was satisfied with that did he at last turn to face Sarann. For a while, neither said anything. Sarann had nothing to say on the matter, what was done was done, she'd given in to drunken temptation. It was bad and she felt the shame trying to sneak up on her, but she would not give in to it, she had bigger problems at that moment. For her it had been a solution to the many frustrations of her life in Neverland and a distraction from her feeling of helplessness at being unable to escape with Jake. She'd lost herself in pleasure but it was over now. It certainly wasn't happening again.

For Hook it was a very different matter. Whereas last night's antics had removed Sarann's need for Hook, it had only increased his desire for her. This was not love, it was not even a pale imitation of it, but it was lust and it was powerful. He'd had Sarann and now he wanted more, yet the look in her eyes told him that if he tried he would be dismissed and that could only end in bloodshed. Sarann had taken his refusal of her well, he would not react the same were the situations reversed. He still had high hopes for her. And time, he had plenty of time. So for now, he could afford to be lenient. He had the magic of Neverland on his side, Sarann had nothing.

"You will not speak of this to anyone."

Sarann nodded her head in agreement but kept her silence. Hook looked for a moment like he had more to say, but when he did speak it was on another subject.

"You are to wake the rest of the crew, by nightfall they must be fully assembled and ready to attack."

The shock spurred Sarann into speaking.

"Attack who?"

"The lost boys."

He spoke with no emotion but there was venom in his heart. When he had taken Sarann, his initial purpose had been nothing more than entertainment. She told good stories, her conversations were stimulating and if nothing else, she was female. Yet once on the ship, she had proved an excellent pirate, and more than that. She had fought the prejudice of the crew and mostly, she had won. Won respect and even admiration from some, an almost impossible feat. On the raids she'd shown her inbuilt ability to lead and more impressively, the pirates had followed that lead. When she'd taken part in the raid on her old world and not being tempted back, Hook had known that she was a fully integrated part of the crew and his plans were set. He had refused her that night as he feared it may drive her away from him, instead, she was his faithful pirate still. His plans were simple. Neverland and Sarann's home land weren't the only two in the universe, there were countless more worlds to plunder and Hook's ambition grew within him. With only one ship and enemies in both worlds, however, he had little capacity for exploration. Add another ship and the potential doubled instantly. The crew was certainly big enough to stretch between two ships but who would captain the other? That was where his grand plans had always ended in the past, but then Sarann had appeared. She had the ability to lead and the men had shown their willingness to follow. So his plans had become concrete, all he needed was the means to get a second ship and that is what he had worked on whilst the pirates raided the island for the lost boys hideaway.

His blood had boiled at the news that Sarann had been taken. None had been immune to his fury. The alcohol stocks were immediately locked away, punishments were doled out for the smallest of crimes, he even shot one of his crew for the petty offence of brushing against his person. Pan had committed a multitude of sins in taking Sarann. He had taken a member of his crew, taken a favoured member at that. He had taken a woman that Hook wanted for himself and halted Hooks plans for becoming a commodore. He had royally pissed Hook off and now Hook wanted revenge. He knew where the hideaway lay, he would attack with his full forces and he would destroy every last lost boy on the island, before he annihilated Pan himself.

Sarann could see all this in the gaze of his eye and couldn't help but shrink from it. The blacks of his eyes poured evil into the room and she felt suffocated by it. Fear clutched her heart for her little brother. This mad man would attack the lost boys and in his eyes Jake was no different. Hook and his pirates would wipe out the entire group and as Sarann watched the hatred writhe inside her captain, she knew the same poisonous loathing ran through the veins of every other pirate on board. There would be no mercy.

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here." Sarann quoted, her voice steady despite the terror inside her.

The words brought Hook's attention away from thoughts of slaughter and back to the present and he smiled cruelly at them. Turning away from her, Hook went to exit the room. Overcome with fear Sarann ran to block his way.

"My brother's in there."

"Then he is one of them and will suffer their fate."

"You can't..."

Sarann's shout was cut off abruptly as Hook's hand collided with her face. The blow sent her sprawling and it was a few seconds before she gathered her wits and glared back up at Hook who remained standing above her.

"Gather the crew." Was Hook's cold response to her protestations. "We leave at sundown. I am Captain, these are my orders."

There was no arguing with a man whose heart was so hard. Sarann saw the determination in every fibre of his being and felt despair enter her soul. To come so far and lose her brother now was unthinkable. And to lose him in such a way...

For a few moments it was all she could do to hold back the tears but the strength in her own heart was more than a match for Hook. She would not back down without a fight. She would not let Hook win if there was breath left in her body. Getting to her feet, ignoring the throbbing in her face where she'd been struck, Sarann hurried out of her room, glad to see Hook was nowhere around. Running across the deserted deck to the very far end, Sarann then leant over the side and said a silent prayer for her stay with the lost boys. Throughout all the pointless games, stories and so called adventures, they had at least taught her something useful.

"I do believe in fairies."

The words were barely a whisper but their volume didn't matter, only the belief behind them. She waited with baited breath, praying the call would still work from the pirate ship. Sure enough, within moments the sound of tiny bells reached her ears and seconds later a fairy stood on Sarann's hand. Knowing her time was short, Sarann gave the fairy a swift message.

"The pirates attack at sundown, they plan to slaughter all the lost boys, make sure they're prepared."

With a determined nod, the fairy flew off back to the mainland. As soon as she was out of sight, Sarann turned around and pushed her focus to the task she had been appointed. As much as she loathed to do it, if she didn't, she'd lose all chance of freedom.

**A/N I can't apologise enough for the delay in updating, I've been crazy busy this last week and when I finally found time to update, Microsoft decided to do an update that took out my internet. Lovely people they are, really. So once again my apologies for the delay and I hope you liked it!**


	15. Chapter 15

"All right you scurvy sea dogs, on your feet!" Sarann yelled, losing herself in the role Hook had assigned her.

At first only groans answered her orders but after half an hour of yelling, prodding, ringing bells, blows with the blunt end of her sword and every other tactic Sarann could employ to wake the dead, the entire crew stood at attention awaiting her orders. It was a heady feeling, the power of being in control, and Sarann fought not to fall for it. Neverland knew she would try to leave and it was fighting to keep her, pouring its magic into her, giving her all she needed to become a pirate captain, but Sarann swore to stay focused on her fight to get Jake and leave. For now though...

"The cap'n be hankering after blood and it be your duty to get it for 'im." She didn't know where the pirate jargon came from, but it certainly felt natural to her. "The lost boys took me and now you've took me back and it be time for revenge!"

At this a loud cheer went up from those gathered before her, followed by more than a few groans at the noise.

"There'll be no mercy. The cap'n be wanting every lost boy dead and I'd say you should all be wanting the same."

Another cheer arose from the pirates, none noticing she'd excluded herself from the desire for bloodshed, she had only one agenda and if she could do it without raising her sword, she would do.

"At sundown we attack and there'd best be no lost boy livin' nor breathin' by the time that red sun rises on those bloodied hills come daybreak."

After a final cheer, Sarann began doling out orders for preparations for the war they were about to embark upon, unaware that Hook watched her every movement with pride. He watched her order about the meanest of pirates with no fear, not bothering to make sure her orders were carried out, knowing they would be to the very letter. Hook had imbued her with power by giving his orders to her to distribute, yet she had a power all of her own and the pirates respected that enough to obey. She would make a fine captain.

It was a busy few hours as the pirates readied themselves for war, Sarann snapping at their heels the whole time to speed them up, sober them up and line them up ready for attack. Weapons were cleaned, checked and donned, boats were readied for the transport to the mainland, maps were consulted for the best strategies for attack, hangover cures of every kind were distributed here, there and everywhere, and Sarann noticed more than one pirate employing hair of the dog, a lot. A point she felt the need to bring up with Hook over a final consultation of the maps just before sundown.

"Captain, I still have reservations about the attack."

Her words were true, despite her ulterior fear towards Jake's safety. Hook did not reply to her statement, he only watched her coldly for any hint of mutiny in her.

"The men are, to a one, extremely hungover." Sarann continued. "They're tired and ill-tempered and although the latter may prove profitable, the former can only serve as a disadvantage. Many have taken to drinking again and by the time those ships launch half the crew will be closer to drunk than tipsy. They're strung out after a month's hard labour and though they hunger for blood, their focus leaves a lot to be desired. Would it not be better to wait a day or two, let the men recover their spirits and then make the attack at full strength?"

Her face showed no sign of the tension within her yet Hook was aware of it. Had she not said anything that morning, he would have had no idea that she had remembered her brother and had continued to care for him but he knew now and he would not soon forget it. Hook also knew that what she said about the crew was true. Nevertheless, they had fought in a worse state than this and their ill tempers and ill health would only serve to increase their wrath and so better serve Hook's purpose.

"We attack at sundown." He said, reiterating his position, refusing to give an inch to her arguments.

Sarann opened her mouth to push her case once more but the fire in Hook's eyes and the twitch of his hand told her he would not change his mind and was not adverse to doling out more of his earlier punishment to her. The second she would have faced had it altered the first but as it would not she responded with a curt "Yes cap'n", and left his quarters to call the men outside to order.

By the time Hook went on deck the entire crew was lined up and ready to depart except for those few who had drawn the short straw and were to remain behind to guard the ship in case of an attack.

As Hook gave his rallying speech to his men Sarann let her mind drift to her own private task. For the captain she would be leading one of the groups whilst he led another. She had been surprised by his involvement at first, so far he'd not joined in a single fight or raid whilst she'd been aboard the Jolly Roger, yet this was a fight to the death for the entire band of lost boys and Hook would not have another taking Pan's life, he reserved that honour for himself. Yet on top of her official duty she had another agenda: getting off the island. So far her plan was sketchy. Grab Jake in an opportune moment, get hold of a fairy, steal enough fairy dust to get them home and leave, it wasn't much but it was all she had.

Soon enough the speeches were done and the boats were launched. Sarann sat during the trip to the island with dread in her heart. This was no game, there was a real danger that either her or Jake would fall in this battle and the thought chilled her soul. She had never been much a praying person but right at that moment she gave up the most fervent prayers to any Gods who were listening to keep her and her brother safe. For herself, she only wished to be able to get Jake off the island. If she fell before doing that he'd be stuck here and although she only had a very vague image of her parents in her head, she knew they must love and miss their children. For their sake as well as Jake, she had to get him back.

When they reached the mainland, there was no hesitation. The pirates lined up in the two groups and followed Hook and Sarann as they moved quickly but quietly up into the hills towards the lost boys hideaway. They reached it without hindrance or any sign of detection and full night had fallen by the time they arrived, further aiding them in their task. As Hook's team took up position around the hideaway itself, Sarann's group spread out to guard the perimeter from outside attacks and to prevent anyone escaping the fray. Sarann made her way to the tree house, intending to place a pirate up there as a surprise attack. One man hidden in the trees with a pistol could do a lot of damage. As she reached the platform she wasn't surprised to see the interior of the tree house was practically destroyed. Furniture lay broken, the mattress was ripped apart, even the walls had marks from Pan's sword upon them. It was only what Sarann had expected; no doubt Pan's full temper had come up when he'd found her gone and guessed she'd either run away or been taken by the pirates. Sarann's message to the fairy had probably been unnecessary, Peter would have to be a fool to not have seen her disappearance as a precursor of war.

He'd left the structure of the building alone though so Sarann climbed back down to the ground and posted two pirates as lookouts and snipers. Once she'd checked the rest of her group was in position, Sarann signalled to Hook that they were ready. The size of the hole into the hideaway had been the main problem to begin with. Sarann had managed to squeeze in and out of it but no adult male would be able to, that's what had stopped the pirates from rescuing her when she'd been confined down there. Hook was all for throwing a bomb down there and seeing how many lost boys he could take out along with creating a proper entrance. Sarann had appealed to his sense of good form and was relieved when he agreed to bury a much smaller explosive just outside the hideaway which would hopefully not injure anyone but still allow them access. Sarann had no idea how the pirates had come to learn how to make bombs, but she imagined it was the magic of Neverland at work again, giving them what they needed to be the best they could be.

Within minutes the preparations were done, the pirates had retreated to a safe distance and then the hellish sound of a bomb exploding hit Sarann from where she hid near the tree-house. Small as it was the explosive devastated the land around it, completely collapsing the roof of the hideaway's first room. After that there was no need for the pirates to enter as almost immediately the lost boys began pouring out, armed to the teeth and obviously more than prepared for the battle. Sarann watched breathlessly as the boys clambered up over the dirt up to the ground, only daring to breathe again when all fourteen boys stood in a circle surrounding the fallen entrance, facing the pirates around them with Pan flying over head. Clearly no one had been injured during the blast, but the danger was just beginning and her little brother stood with sword in hand, facing up to Carlos. Of all the pirates she could have wished her brother would face, it would not be him. More ruthless and cruel than any other and bearing a grudge against Sarann, he would only turn his fury on Jake all the more.

With a yell Pan led his boys in the fight against the pirates and then the time for worrying was over. As part of periphery protection Sarann was not authorised to join in the immediate fray. Even with her own agenda it served her purpose to follow orders for now until she knew how to proceed in getting Jake out. In order to better command her troops Sarann was closer to the fighting than the rest of her group, but due to the intense battle before her eyes it was almost impossible for her to do her job from where she stood. Quickly looking around she soon glanced on the nearest tree to the hideaway and shimmied up it. From there she had a good view over the plain of battle and was better able to shout instructions to her pirates on when and where to close ranks if it looked like a lost boy was about to flee. She also had a bird's eye view of Jake's fight with Carlos, but it didn't exactly calm her. Carlos was taking out all his frustrations with Sarann on her brother. He resented that a female had been allowed on the ship, resented that she had been so easily accepted and violently resented the fact that she had been put in a position of power over him. He didn't know Hook's plans but he could easily guess them. At that moment there was nothing he could do about Sarann but if he could cut her brother down, whether she remembered and cared for him or not, it would certainly brighten his day.

Jake wasn't giving in without a fight though, he was skilled and quick in his defence, but defence was all he was giving, he had no time for attack under Carlos's ferocious assault. Still, he was holding his own and for now that was enough for Sarann. With one eye on her brother and the other on the rest of the mêlée, it was no wonder that she didn't see the second attack until it was almost too late.

A flicker of colour in the trees to her right caught her attention and she turned before gasping in horror and instantly calling out a warning.

"Pirates down!"

The pirates barely had time to register the words before the first arrows began to fly. They were quick in their reactions though and most of the arrows hit only dirt. Or a lost boy. Seeing their first volley had done more harm than good the Indian's halted their attack and waited for orders from their chief.

When the fairy had delivered the message to Pan that the pirates would attack that night, much quicker than he had anticipated, he knew they'd be sending their full force, just as he knew the remaining lost boys were no match for them. He'd immediately sent the fairy off to inform the Indian's, hoping they'd join in the fight. There had been no word back since then and Pan had begun to despair that they would get any help.

The agreement between the Indian's and the lost boys was a strange one. As a race the Indians were capable of horrific violence and more than able to protect their crops from the pirates. Yet they were also a peaceful race and disliked violence unless absolutely necessary, which is why they gave Pan and his boys food and provisions in exchange for their protection. This was the reason Pan had received no word from them that afternoon. A long and drawn out council had been held to discuss whether to assist in the fight or wait and see what the outcome was. For the most part the tribe was in favour of staying away, it was not their fight, but there were some among them with far reaching eyes. The wise elders saw that if Hook should be victorious they would have to defend their own food from then on, reverting back to the violence they had tried to escape. On top of that there was no guarantee that Hook would stop with Pan, there was the ever present threat that the pirates would attack them directly, turn them into slaves to farm food for them. No, that future could not be. So the Indians had gathered their weapons and set off on their silent trek down from their camp and into the hills, taking a route through the forest to help hide their coming and assist them in a surprise attack. It had almost worked, had Sarann not spotted them from her elevated perch the pirates would have had no warning of the outside attack.

Taking advantage of the Indian's hesitation, Sarann began calling out new orders to the pirates under her command, instructing them to regroup, leaving a minimum guard on the open plains and strengthening the perimeter ring within the forest. The Indian's, seeing they'd been spotted, wasted no time in launching a vicious attack on the pirates, just as the pirates began firing their pistols at the Indians. The pirates in the tree-house had the best position so Sarann ordered three more to join them. The Indians were faster with their arrows but they were firing through trees and visibility was difficult. From their elevated position, the pirates in the tree-house turned the tide against the Indians so the chief ordered them to abandon the arrows and fight hand to hand.

Seeing the new strategy Sarann called four of the pirates down to join the fray, leaving one up in the tree-house to pick of any enemies attempting to escape as the two forces met below them. The bloodlust within Sarann rose up at the sights and sounds of the clashes below her and she longed to join in but her role demanded she stay where she was. With a much weakened perimeter force her work was cut out for her. The lost boys in the centre were beginning to spread out and Sarann had to direct the pirates under her command to force them back to prevent any sudden escapes. The Indians were a force neither she nor Hook had reckoned on and it was severely stretching them having to fight on two fronts. Many a time an Indian would break away from the fighting and circle around to attack from the rear, only Sarann's quick eyes and hasty warnings stopped these attacks from wiping out her group.

Hook had joined in combat with Peter as soon as the first call for battle was given and it was between those two that the fighting was the fiercest. The hatred in their blood took over all their senses and Pan was no longer the youth he often reverted to, he was almost a man in his fighting and Sarann could not honestly say who would be the victor, although it seemed clear at that point that by the time the sun rose, only one of them would be standing.

Time and time again of course, Sarann's eyes were drawn to where her brother still fiercely stood his ground, yet as the hours rolled by she could see him beginning to weaken. Jake was the better fighter, but the pirate had height, weight and strength on him and the boy couldn't last forever. Sarann was still no closer to any real plan of escape and her attention was stretched in so many different directions that she had no time to think. It was only a chance encounter with an Indian that gave her the opening she was looking for. Up until that point the pirates had succeeded in keeping the Indian's out of the inner circle of fighting, allowing each group to focus on a single enemy. At that moment though, three Indian's simultaneously detached themselves from the fighting and circled around the edges to attack the pirates' backs. Sarann called out a warning and the pirates most at danger whirled around to face the new attack, leaving their previous opponents free to then escape towards the fighting with the lost boys. Every pirate there was up against at least one lost boy and Sarann knew that her perch on the tree was no longer useful, better to let an enemy escape than let them win the battle through lack of pirates. With one final shout for the remaining perimeter guards to fall in Sarann hastily climbed down from the tree and caught the hair of the nearest Indian running past her, stopping them from attacking Tobias from behind. At this point Sarann was acting on her pirate instincts, not through any logical thought process and so when the Indian whose hair she had turned to face her, Sarann's face curled up into a grin just as Tiger Lily's bent into a grimace of hatred. Of all the foes Tiger Lily could have hoped to have faced, Sarann was it. The Indian princess's red fury rose up in a jealous passion over the woman she knew had attracted Pan's attentions where she had failed. Sarann had seen danger in her eyes during the Indian's visit and now it was time to face that danger. With pleasure.

Sarann drew her sword just as Tiger Lily threw an axe straight at her head. With one precise move, Sarann deflected the attack and immediately struck out at the Indian, giving her very little time to draw her tomahawk and long knife in defence. The girl was skilled with her weapons, just as Sarann was with hers, but whereas the pirate had combat experience Tiger Lily had only her hours of practice behind her and the reality hit her hard. At the same time Sarann had only fought hand to hand sword, fighting against tomahawks and knives made things more complicated. Nevertheless, she stood her ground and got in a few nicks against Tiger Lily's skin whilst remaining free from injury herself.

The fighting around them continued thick and fast, the two groups merging eventually. The only one not in the melee was the pirate up in the tree-house, posted against any lost boy or Indian trying to escape. Yet not one tried it and he knew none of them would. He had his orders though, he would not disobey Sarann. Every so often one of the enemy would part themselves from the battle long enough for him to take a shot at him so his position was not completely wasted. For the most part though the fighting was too intense and it had almost completely moved out into the open space around the hideaway. The land there and the area in the trees were littered with bodies. Almost half of those that had fought were already dead and neither side seemed to have any advantage over the other. If things kept going how they were, there wouldn't be a single pirate, boy or Indian left when this was over.

At that moment though, Sarann was too busy in her own fight to worry about the others. She'd been forced to bring out her pistol to help her defend against Tiger Lily's double attack of tomahawk and knife, yet she was doing well. The Indian princess had been arrogant in her initial attack but the cuts Sarann had left on her arms, slight as they were, had brought fear to her heart and her movements now were almost frenzied. It was this that led to her defeat in the end; her lack of confidence, not her lack of skill. Desperate to injure her foe, Tiger Lily struck with her tomahawk and quickly followed it with her knife, not realising she had done the same move not a few minutes before. Recognising the position Tiger Lily held her body in before the strike Sarann dropped her pistol, parried the blow of the tomahawk with her sword and used her free hand to take the knife from the Indian's hand as her stroke fell. Shocked at the sudden loss of her weapon, Tiger Lily struggled to counter Sarann's next attack with the result being the pirate immobilised her tomahawk with her sword and placed the knife to her foe's throat. The manoeuvre had taken mere seconds but the fight between the two women was effectively over. All that remained was for Sarann to slit the Indian's throat and an anticipatory smile spread over her face at the thought.

As her hand moved to grip the knife tighter a cry from her right caused Sarann to turn her head. The sight that met her eyes was enough to shock her out of her bloodlust a little. The fight between Jake and Carlos was going badly, very badly. Even as Sarann turned Jake lost his footing and fell to the ground, still managing to block Carlos's attack as he did so, but he couldn't last much longer. Turning back to Tiger Lily, Sarann's desire for her death faded but her need for violence remained. With a sadistic smile cutting across her face, Sarann quickly moved her knife and slashed it across the Indian's cheek. Not deep enough to cause serious damage, but enough to leave a scar.

"To remember me by." Sarann said quietly, before slamming the butt of her sword into Tiger Lily's head.

Sarann immediately ran towards her brother, not bothering to watch as Tiger Lily fell to the floor unconscious. That fight was over, a new one just begun. Just as she was about to engage in battle with Carlos, Stix and Carrot suddenly came from the left and aided Jake in his fight. In fact they took over his fight. Glancing around Sarann saw the two pirates the lost boys had been fighting with laying on the ground, obviously dead. There was no remorse in her though, no anger, in fact she was curiously numb. Her love for her brother was battling with her pirate's lust for vengeance and neither were victorious for a while. It gave her time to think, time to assess the situation. Other than the pirate in the tree house, every single person was locked in a fierce conflict. Pan and Hook were at the very centre and both were bloodied but standing and fighting as hard as ever. Neither had eyes for anyone else and the same went for every other pirate, Indian and lost boy. This was a fight to the death and all knew it. With that thought, anger and resolve shot through Sarann once more. Let them kill each other, let them wipe out every creature on the island but they were NOT going get Jake. Without another thought, Sarann reached down and dragged Jake to his feet. This may be the only chance they got and she was certainly going to take it.

Aware of the one remaining pirate in the tree house, Sarann head in the opposite direction, going slightly to the south as fast as Jake's feet could carry him, putting as much distance as possible between her and the sentinel pirate. He was the only danger to them at that moment, everyone else was too involved in the fight. Sarann knew that nothing would make the pirate desert his post so her hope lay in outrunning the range of his bullets. Sure enough, only seconds later a bullet whisked by her left ear and she increased their pace, almost dragging Jake along beside her. Jake allowed himself to be led along blindly. Despite Peter's teachings, despite Neverland's magic, this was his sister, he loved her and that love overrode everything else. He'd follow her to death or any adventure.

The second shot stirred up the ground just in front of Jake but he carried on just as his sister did. The next shot was a dull thud quite a way behind them and Sarann knew they were out of range. That didn't mean they were safe, she knew at any moment they could be followed so she continued to run as long as Jake was able. Thankfully this was quite a while and Sarann managed to coax him on until they reached the beach of the other side of the plains. Hiding behind a large dune, Sarann let Jake rest for a while but she knew there wasn't much time. Calling for a fairy Sarann then had an agonising wait ahead of her with nothing to do but keep as quiet as possible. She couldn't even manage a reassuring smile to Jake, although he needed it in his bewildered state. She had to keep him safe, that's all that mattered. The wait for the fairy was a torturous one. Despite the stories of Tinkerbell, the fairies on the island were not close with the lost boys, they would come when called but they did not live with them. Tinkerbell had faded long ago and Sarann did not know where the other fairies resided or how long it would take one to reach them. Even as the thought went through her head she heard the distinct sound of a pirate running over the plains, his various belts and weapons buckles jangling in the clear air.

Looking around in despair, Sarann saw no sign of a fairy nor any other place to hide. Fear shot through her for a second before rage took over. She'd come this far, she wasn't going to lose when she was so close to escaping. She was on her feet as Hook ran around the dune and Pan flew over the top of it. Spotting her they both stopped and spun to face her, anger burning in their eyes at her attempt to escape. They were deadly foes, yet they had at least one thing in common: they both felt they had a claim on Sarann and neither was willing to let her go. The pirate in the tree-house had watched as Sarann had run off with her brother. When his shots had failed he'd raised the alarm with Hook and both the captain and Pan had instantly chased after them with no thought left to their own quarrel. Now as they stood facing her, their own hatred came back into play and they watched each other wearily without letting Sarann out of their sight. Sarann stared right back at them, unsure of what to do, wanting only to buy time for a fairy to arrive. It was Hook who eventually broke the silence.

"Lower your sword Sarann, that's an order from your captain."

For a moment Sarann's sword wavered. She was still a pirate and he was still her captain, but a movement from behind reminded her of Jake's presence and what her true mission was. Her stance hardened and she raised her sword higher in defiance. Impossibly, the fury upon Hook's face intensified at her rebellion, but Pan's face eased. Any act against Hook was an act for him, or so he thought.

"Come back to the caves."

At Pan's words Sarann drew her pistol and pointed it at him. Confusion crossed his features but soon the anger was back. Sarann had shown her position and that put Hook and Pan on the same side, temporarily at least.

"Sarann lower your weapon and come back to the ship."

"She belongs with the lost boys, with her brother, with me." Was Pan's sly retort to Hook's order.

Pan played on Hook's jealousy whilst using his own to fuel his rage, but he was still a boy and Hook was man.

"She belongs back on my ship, back in my bed."

The barb was cruel and Pan did not miss the words which told him all he needed to know about Sarann's last night on the ship. Sarann thanked the Gods that Jake was too young to understand Hook's meaning but she despised him for the reference to her moment of weakness, for that's what she saw it as now, and she viewed it with shame. Moving her pistol she pointed it dead at Hook's face before speaking.

"I belong at home with my family, as does Jake."

She didn't see how Hook reacted to that as she caught sight of Pan out of the corner of her eye and it chilled her blood. She'd seen that look before, but not in his eyes. It was the same look Jake had given her when he was younger. He'd been wanting to use the expensive pen Sarann had been given for her birthday and when she wouldn't let him he'd taken it and broken it. To his eyes, if he couldn't have it, no one could have it. Pan's childlike thoughts were going the same way and Sarann realised her vague plan of pitting Pan and Hook against each other wouldn't work. Pan wasn't out to get Hook now; it was her he planned to destroy. He knew then that any hope he had of Sarann being his was gone, she'd chosen Hook and for that he could never forgive her. Neither would he let Hook have her.

Pan's attack took Hook by surprise but Sarann was ready for it. Still, Pan flew at her at full speed and it was all she could do to keep her balance under the initial attack. Not understanding the boy's motives, but unwilling to let him hurt Sarann, Hook went after Pan.

The fight was more intense than anything Sarann had witnessed or been involved in up until that point. Pan was intent on killing her and all she could do was defend herself and Jake. Hook bent all his energies towards killing Pan and would have succeeded if Sarann didn't repeatedly put herself between the two of them. Victory for either of them would spell disaster for her but more than that, she couldn't face seeing anyone else being killed. Her mind was soaked with the blood of others and the thought of another death on her conscience tore at her. So close to escape, Neverland was losing its grip on her and her memories were turning to torture.

The fighting only got more intense as it went on. Pan and Hook were battling their age old feud whilst Pan also tried to end Sarann and even Hook turned on her in the end as she repeatedly defended his blows against Peter. Sarann was once again using her pistol for defence and only his sense of good form prevented Hook using his pistol to kill Pan outright. By this time, even Sarann was beginning to tire. The long night was almost over, the first rays of dawn were beginning to peak over what passed for a horizon in Neverland and Sarann just longed for an end to the conflict.

Jake had spent the entire fight looking on in fear. His instinct was to protect both his sister and then Peter, but the fighting was too thick and any interference might end up with him hurting those he was trying to protect. Instead he could only sit and wait for an opportunity to arise. As he waited though, a tiny sound reached his ear and distracted him. Sarann noticed nothing other than the moves of the two men she was in combat with and her own growing weakness. She wasn't the only one though, all three of them were beginning to feel worn out but none were willing to give up the fight. As Sarann blocked a blow from Pan she saw Hook raise his sword to attack and took advantage by slamming him in the face with her pistol.

Pan never ceased his attack so Sarann was unable to watch as Hook reeled backwards, stunned by the blow and the bloody nose it had caused. By that time all three of them were covered in blood however, so it didn't distract him for long. As he went to step back into the fray though, Jake reached out with his own sword, taking advantage of the opportunity and slashing Hook across the back of his thigh. The wound was deep enough that Hook crashed to his knees but within seconds had spun around to strike at the boy. To his surprise, there was no one behind him. A giggle above his head caused him to look up and he saw Jake flying above him, a fairy resting on his shoulder. It was the noise of the fairy that had distracted Jake earlier and once the fairy had arrived he'd taken some fairy dust just before attacking Hook and then flying out of reach.

At the sound of Hook's cry of pain and rage, Sarann spun round and a grin split her face as she saw Jake and the fairy. Pan was shocked by the betrayal of a fairy. His previous friendship with Tinkerbell and the co-operation of the other fairies had led him to believe he was in charge of all them all and to see one aiding the escape of one of his lost boys enraged him.

Sarann wasted no time seeing how he would react. The fairy had flown to her as soon as she had disengaged from Pan. Just as Tinkerbell had an uncommon fondness for Pan, so this one had a strange hatred of him. She felt Pan used the fairies but offered them no protection from the pirates in return. To see him bested by this girl and her brother would be a pleasure. As soon as Sarann had a sprinkling of fairy dust on her she shot into the air but she knew the fight wouldn't end there. Sure enough, the move jolted Pan out of his reverie and he flew up towards her. He never reached her though, as he jumped up Hook leapt towards him and grabbed hold of his ankle using Pan's own momentum to swing him around and smash him into one of the many boulders that littered the beach. The blow left Peter almost senseless and Sarann watched with horror as Hook struggled to his feet and lifted his sword for a killing blow. No matter how strong her hatred for Pan, she would not let him die, she could not watch another killing. Without a thought to her own safety, Sarann flew and placed herself between them and Hook only just managed to stop before he killed both her and Pan simultaneously.

"Get out of the way." He growled at her.

"No." Was her cool but firm reply.

"Sarann, move."

There was no patience left in his voice and for a moment Sarann feared he would kill them both.

"And do what? Let you kill him?" She asked, her voice steady but charged with emotion. "What then? Where do you go from there? Peter Pan is the only worthy adversary you've ever had, what would you do if you killed him? What adventures could you possibly have with nothing to fight against? What excitement could life hold if there was no prospect of war? It's your battles against Pan and the lost boys that make you great, without an adversary, you're nothing."

She could see her words were affecting him but it wasn't enough.

"There are other worlds." Was his answer. "I find adventure enough in yours and there are countless more. I had thought to set you up with your own ship to aid in the raids of these other worlds but without Pan I'd have to strength of men to lead the raids myself."

Sarann didn't hesitate before continuing, she knew there was no time for it.

"But will you ever find an opponent as worthy as Pan? One who tests you mentally and physically? Will you ever find a war as glorious as the one you led today if you wipe out every foe on this island? There is no honour in slaughter. No good form in wiping out an enemy. And Hook? Would you really send Peter Pan, your life long rival, onto the greatest adventure of all ahead of you? That glorious, final adventure that will eternally wreath his name in fame and obscure yours? For without anyone to fight, what stories will the mothers ever tell their children of Neverland?"

This time her words hit Hook like a barb. She was right, his fame with inextricably linked with Pan's and if one ceased to exist what more could the other do? He was the infamous Captain James Hook and it was only through his victories over the worthy Peter Pan that his name was spoken throughout the land. Taking an uneven step back, Hook lowered his sword.

"After all," He said with a grin. "it's only good form."

Seeing the immediate danger erased, Pan struggled to his feet, ignoring the pounding disorientation in his head. Noticing the movement behind her, Sarann flew up to join her brother. She still didn't trust Pan, his vendetta was against her too. Sure enough, now Hook posed no danger Pan's focus was once again on destroying her. Upon seeing Pan's intention, Hook once again raised his sword and Sarann groaned in despair at the both of them.

"Peter drop your sword, Hook you too."

She didn't expect them to obey, but her shout had at least halted their attacks.

"This is futile. Hook, you can't have me, I'm leaving. Pan, you can't have me either, and if you kill me, Hook'll forget all I just said and kill you anyway and what glory will you have in your final adventure if it begins on the end of Captain Hook's sword?"

She paused long enough for her words to sink in before continuing.

"You've both lost this fight, either dead or gone home, I'll be out of you reach. Neverland bred some petty obsession within you and it's time to let it go. Let me go. Let Jake go. Move on, find another war, there's no way either of you can win this."

She knew her words were less than adequate, but she had nothing left inside her. What little energy she had was draining fast and she knew she had to get out of there. With her out of sight, they'd forget, Neverland had gambled on her and lost and it would soon erase her from their memories, soon introduce another cause for war. Both sides would rebuild their forces and the hopeless struggle would begin over again. She knew this and something within Pan knew this too. For Hook, he'd given up hours before. He'd had her in bed and for all Sarann thought she knew, that was one thing he would not forget, could never forget. He could not have her, but that memory would keep him warm in the long cold nights ahead.

Once again, Hook lowered his sword and this time Pan did the same. Taking Jake's hand, Sarann flew well above the reach of the men below her before finally turning her back on them and flying out of Neverland. The fairy showed her worth once more as she led the siblings back home. The flight was a long one and it was silent. Jake spent the journey going over all his adventures yet happy that he was going to see his parents again. Towards the end, the battle had begun to wear him out mentally and he longed for the comforting embrace of his mother. Sarann's mind was quiet though. The horrors she had endured were too much as she was torn from Neverland's embrace and she remained blessedly numb throughout the entire trip. Her mind seemed almost sedated and as Jake longed for his parents, Sarann longed only for the total oblivion of sleep.

**A/N Thank you everyone for your patience once again with the delay! I hope you liked it. There's just one more chapter to go, it should be up in a few days (fingers crossed!). Thank you as always for reading and for any reviews you leave, they're all greatly appreciated!**


	16. Chapter 16

It was with mixed feelings that Sarann first caught sight of her house. Joy began to stir in her heart when she thought of her comforting home and yet at the start of one feeling all the others began to emerge as well, along with trepidation at what was to come. They'd been gone for months, what would they come to back to?

Jake, however, had no such misgivings. As soon as he spotted the house he let out a cry of joy and attempted to speed up to get home quicker but Sarann held him back from doing so. It was the middle of the night now, she could see the house was in complete darkness and the sight worried her already uneasy mind. Leaving Jake floating above the house with the fairy, Sarann flew down to peer in at her parents' bedroom window. The window was closed as it always was but a crack in the curtain showed her parents curled up in bed together, fast asleep. The sight eased her heart slightly, at least they were okay and they were still there, they hadn't fled the house where their children had disappeared.

Sarann flew back to the roof to collect her brother and the fairy and then led them both to Jake's bedroom window. It was closed but not locked thankfully and the three were soon inside, being as quiet as possible under Sarann's advice. It would not do to wake their parents just yet, she was not ready for that confrontation. Jake agreed soon enough, he was tired after a long night's fighting and longed for his bed. Sarann wasn't sure how it was night time here considering they'd left Neverland at dawn but she assumed that the long flight home had been combined with Pan extending the night in Neverland to assist with the fighting, after all, the young boys see better in the dark than older men. Whatever the explanation, she was exhausted and needed more than a few hours sleep before she faced the endless questions her parents would ask her.

Quickly she tucked Jake into bed, kissing her brother on the forehead and wishing him pleasant dreams. He was asleep instantly and as Sarann turned she caught sight of the fairy stood on the windowsill and walked over to her.

"How can I ever thank you?" She said, her voice choked with feeling. "You saved our lives."

There was no verbal reply but the fairy's magic conveyed her message better than words ever could. Her plea was just as heartfelt as Sarann's thanks and even though she had no idea how she was going to do it, Sarann knew she must fulfil the fairy's request.

"I will, I promise."

The words were short but honest and the fairy nodded her head with a smile before flying back to Neverland, safely assured that her appeal would be carried out. Suddenly Sarann was alone with her sleeping little brother. No more distractions, no more tasks to complete. Until the morning came, the rest of the night was hers.

As silently as possible she made her way to her own bedroom and then stood there staring around her at the relics of her old life. The bed, the desk, the chair, her bookshelf and wardrobe... all so essential to the person she had been only months before and now completely alien to her. She stood there, dressed in full pirate regalia, a sword on one hip, a pistol on the other, covered in blood both her own and from others and found herself lost in her own home. Knowing she could not allow her parents to see her like that, she stripped off her clothes and put them in an empty carrier bag, tying it tightly and hiding it in the back of her wardrobe under a pile of bedsheets. Next she used some facial wipes to get off as much of the blood as possible before putting on some pyjamas. She moved as a robot, not truly registering what she was doing, not noticing the wounds she re-opened, her mind was too pre-occupied with unanswerable questions. How could she return to this life? After she'd seen people killed? After she'd killed people herself? Not people, children. She'd killed children...

As the thought ran through her brain, all the emotions she'd been struggling to contain during the flight home, all the emotions Neverland had kept her shielded from, converged on her at that moment. Her barriers broke down and so too did she. Heaving sobs wracked her body but she fought to remain silent. She couldn't let her parents see her, not now, now like that. She wore herself out with crying that night, tired from all the horrific emotions coursing through her. She cried herself into unconsciousness and only her utter exhaustion allowed her to sleep the undisturbed sleep of a child, a sleep she felt she had no right to, but welcomed wholeheartedly that night.

A scream of mingled joy and horror awoke Sarann the next morning. Her first instinct was that the battle was not over but upon opening her eyes she was greeted with the sight of her old bedroom and only seconds later her door slammed open and she saw her father for the first time in months. He stood in the doorway in shock for a few seconds before calling out to his wife that Sarann was home too. They had awakened to find Jake's door open and moments later had discovered him there in his bed. His mother's scream of joy had turned to horror as she saw the blood. Sarann had forgotten all about the fact the Jake had been injured slightly, but she knew all the blood was his, he hadn't killed anyone. Unlike her own clothes, slick with the blood of Tiger Lily, Hook and Pan combined with her own. It wouldn't do for the police to find that and she knew the police would be involved. That would come later though.

Hearing her father's voice, tears sprang into Sarann's eyes but for once they were tears of happiness. Happiness at being home and reunited with her family. Springing out of bed she rushed into her father's arms and clung onto him, feeling the strength and safety of his arms and savouring it. Her father clung to her too, kissing the top of her head before leading her into Jake's bedroom where her mother sat hugging her brother. Soon all four were hugging and crying, simply happy to be together, yet all too soon the questions began. "Where were you? Why are you both injured? How did you get back in the house without waking us? What have you been doing?" Endless questions and Sarann couldn't answer one, not one. She tried to keep Jake quiet, but he couldn't help but boast of his adventures. He was excited to relate his tales and so didn't notice the looks of horror on his parents' faces. Eventually Sarann managed to cut him off, but what could she say Of course no one would believe their tale and for that she was extremely thankful; she didn't want anyone knowing what they had been through. Yet she had to say something.

"We were kidnapped..." She began haltingly, beginning with the first lie that came into her head. "Drugged, I don't... I don't know. I don't remember..."

That soon became her mantra, her automatic answer: I don't remember. The police came eventually and she gave them the same answer. They tested them both but could find no trace of drugs in them, yet they believed them, after all, what other explanation could their be? How they were taken, how they were returned, the nature of their injuries; these were all mysteries destined to be unsolved. Their parents were simply relieved to have their children back home, safe and almost sound. To their minds, neither child had any memory of their ordeal and that was the best they could hope for. Jake was confused at first, but he listened to Sarann's explanation that adults couldn't know about Neverland, it was their own little adventure to be kept secret. He adjusted well to life back home. He was as energetic as ever, still disliked going to bed but he was less happy with his mundane life. Many a time he'd find himself bored playing in his room, he was used to multiple companions, constant adventures. Many a time he'd seek out Sarann's company, but Sarann was greatly changed.

Now she was completely out of the influence of Neverland's magic the full weight of her actions had hit her. She'd turned pirate, turned thief, turned murdered. She'd killed children and she'd slept with a man she had no feelings for. The memories and the guilt tore her up inside. Her family couldn't help but notice the permanent melancholy air that surrounded her, her parents suspected that she had retained memories of her time while missing, but they couldn't begin to guess what they were. They didn't push her for answers, they assumed she would come to them in her own time. Sarann saw their silent questions though and she knew she would never speak of her time in Neverland, she would never even give them an hint of it. Those memories were her own personal hell and she would bear them alone. For the well being and easy minds of her family, she had to bear them alone.

Her family tried to bring her back from her thoughts, immerse her in her old life, but Sarann was not the person she had been before she'd been taken and she could not go back to being so. Instead she spent more and more time alone, worrying everyone around her as she tried to deal with things she had no way of possibly dealing with. The only time she ever seemed like her old self was at Jake's bedtime when she would tell him stories as she used to. Stories of Robin Hood, of animals in the jungle, of princes and far off lands. But never Neverland, never Peter Pan. She never mentioned their time away and for a while Jake respected that although he couldn't understand it. Eventually though, almost a month after their return, the time came when he forgot himself.

"Tell me about Peter Pan again."

The quiet request sent waves of grief through Sarann who was trying her hardest to forgot that place. It was too soon, far too soon.

"No Jake, no stories about Pan."

Seeing the sorrow on his sister's face Jake didn't argue with her, instead thinking over all his adventures, still not truly understanding why Sarann was so sad.

"Will we ever go back there Sarann?" Jake asked hopefully.

"Neverland's not a good place Jake." Sarann sighed, looking out of the window. "It makes you forget who you are, forget everything you ever believed. I lost myself on that island. Every day I'm home, more and more memories from my life here return, but I can't ever go back to who I was. Neverland changed me, in ways I'd rather forget, but I never shall. For all its adventure, it's a dark, dangerous place, and I would not go back there if Pan himself came to collect me."

Jake's childish mind still saw the events of the island as the adventures they had appeared to him whilst there, but part of him understood that to Sarann the memories weren't pleasant. This was the first time he'd tried to talk to her about it, but he could see she didn't want to talk back. That didn't mean she couldn't tell stories though.

"Okay then, tell me about Robin Hood and the evil sheriff!"

Sarann smiled at his enthusiasm and hugged him close, thankful of his tact, young as he was. Instantly she plunged into a tale of Robin Hood and his merry men, losing herself in fantasy just as she used to, glad for the reprieve from her thoughts. Jake was asleep by the time her story was done and she kissed him gently on the forehead before going back to her own room.

As Sarann sat down at her desk, she looked at the mirror in front of her and forced herself to think back on the horror she had endured during her time on the island. Running from her memories was only making things worse. She knew she had to face them, more than that, she had something left that she still had to do, a promise she had to keep.

With tears blurring her vision Sarann reached inside the drawer of her desk and pulled out an unused notebook. For a while that was a far as she got, tears began to streak her cheeks as she thought over her time on the island and looked for a place to start. Once she began though, she couldn't stop. The words flowed from her pen with a power she couldn't control. With her heart wrenching at her the whole time, Sarann wrote down the events she had witnessed in Neverland, modified and tamed down for the young readers she was aiming the story at. Belief in Neverland was dying and so too were the fairies. It was their deaths that allowed Hook to steal fairy dust and travel to her world, to raid, to steal, to kill. Sarann not only had her and Jake's memories of the island, she had a mind full of stories she'd made up before ever going there. By writing them down, by publishing them, she could bring the belief in Neverland back, nourish the fairies with that belief and so stop Hook from leaving the island. The magic of Neverland was a terrible thing and those under its influence had no place in Sarann's world. Pan wouldn't protect the fairies from the pirates, but maybe Sarann could give them the power to protect themselves. That was her promise to the fairy who had brought her home and by keeping Hook trapped on Neverland she was keeping a promise to herself: to protect her own world, to protect her family.

**A/N Thank you so much to all my readers and especially those who have left reviews! I really hope you liked it! Unfortunately I'm focussing more on my original writing for a while so who knows when I'll start a new fanfic. There are quite a few stories on my profile already if you're interested in reading more. But once again thank you for taking the time to read and for the detailed reviews I've been getting, they are truly appreciated.**


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